Advancing Care Reform for Children in Mozambique

Every child has the right to grow up in a family. While national efforts supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partners have reduced the number of children in institutions from 7,269 in 2020 to 3,624 in 2024, progress remains uneven.

One of the major reforms led by the Government, with UNICEF’s support, is the creation of a unified electronic registry of children separated from their families, as well as prospective adoptive parents, guardians, and foster families. This innovative mechanism, unique in the region, aims to prioritize family-based care as the primary alternative protection measure for children deprived of parental care.

This week, the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Action, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Supreme Court (Juvenile Court) officially launched the electronic registry for alternative care. The training brings together over 65 participants—including social action officers, prosecutors, magistrates, and IT teams—to strengthen child protection systems and ensure that every child can grow up in a safe and nurturing family environment.

The launch follows the approval of the Alternative Care Regulation and a pilot phase (2018–2024) carried out in Nampula, Cabo Delgado, Zambézia, Sofala, and Maputo Provinces, which ensured preparedness for national scale-up. UNICEF will continue to support capacity building and provide the necessary equipment across social action offices, courts, and prosecutors’ offices as part of a five-year project to achieve full nationwide implementation.

Importantly, this registry is also a critical tool for protecting children at risk of separation and displacement in the context of humanitarian crises and the growing impacts of climate change, which are already disrupting family and community care across the region.

Every child deserves the warmth, security, and love of a family. 

Together, UNICEF and the Government of Mozambique are working to make this a reality.