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Needs and support for Ugandan child-headed households: results from a qualitative study

This article presents findings of a study addressing the situation of child-headed households in Uganda's western Kabarole district. As traditional coping mechanisms of strong extended family support become increasingly overburdened, some orphaned children find themselves living in child-headed households without a parent or adult guardian to care for them. The study employed a qualitative study design and used semi-structured interviews with 20 children each heading a household of orphans. The children's urgent needs, existing sources of support, and required support are explored. The children expressed concerns about their situations as child parents as they often felt unsupported at a time when they urgently needed support. The study also reveals the complexity of providing support for children in this situation and highlights the importance of addressing not only their physical but also their emotional needs. The study results demonstrate the challenge of finding appropriate ways to address the children's most urgent needs and initiating interventions that have a long-term focus, which is critical in improving the situation of child-headed households. Important questions about the nature of support by non-governmental organizations to children in these circumstances are discussed. Recommendations are made about various venues through which these children could be effectively supported.