Cape Verde Urgently Needs Foster Families for Children
Cape Verde is facing a critical shortage of foster families, leaving vulnerable children languishing in emergency shelters far longer than intended. Zaida Freitas, the outgoing president of the Cape Verdean Institute for Children and Adolescents (ICCA), warns that the country must mobilize its citizens to provide temporary homes for minors at risk.
The Crisis of Long-Term Institutionalization
The ICCA currently operates four emergency reception centers housing nearly 100 children who have been removed from their homes due to violence, negligence, or abuse. While these centers are designed for short-term stays of six to twelve months, a lack of foster care alternatives is turning these emergency shelters into permanent residences.
“Institutional care always has negative consequences,” Freitas said in an interview with Lusa news agency. “A child’s place is always in a family—whether it is their biological family, foster care, or an adoptive home.”
Legal Hurdles and the Foster Care Distinction
Freitas emphasized the urgent need to implement the Children and Adolescents Statute (ECA). Although regulations have been submitted to the Council of Ministers, approval was still pending at the time of her departure. These regulations are vital for streamlining adoption processes and, crucially, establishing a regulated pool of foster families.
Freitas noted that the public often confuses foster care with adoption. Unlike adoption, foster care is a temporary arrangement intended to protect the child while their biological family works to recover the conditions necessary to take them back. During this time, contact between the child and their original family is maintained.
Prevention Through Day Centers
While foster care remains a challenge, Freitas highlighted the success of the ICCA’s day centers. These facilities provide care for children outside of school hours, acting as a preventative measure to keep families together. Under her three-year tenure, the network grew to 20 centers, including 11 new facilities established in early 2026.
Freitas urged the government to continue investing in these programs, particularly through the country’s Tourism Fund. “In a country where tourism carries such great economic weight, social responsibility is of extreme importance,” she argued.
A Legacy of Reform
Reflecting on her term, Freitas pointed to significant structural improvements at the ICCA, including moving the institution away from paper-based records toward an integrated digital management system. The institute also transitioned from a single-leader model to a board of directors to better manage its operations across Cape Verde’s nine inhabited islands.
Freitas has been succeeded by Denise Resende, a psychologist and former coordinator for SOS Children’s Villages, who was appointed by the Council of Ministers in late September. The ICCA remains the primary public body tasked with ensuring that Cape Verdean children live with dignity and free from violence.
Image: Pexels – Kindel Media
