Bachelor of Arts in Child Care and Protection

Introduction to Child Development

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Foundational study of child development — covering physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development from infancy through adolescence, with attention to developmental theories and milestones.

Child Rights and Law

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Study of child rights legal frameworks — covering the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, African Charter, Kenyan Children's Act, child protection legislation, and the legal responsibilities ...

Child Protection Frameworks

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Study of child protection systems and frameworks — covering the national child protection system, safeguarding policies, child protection procedures, referral pathways, and the roles of different a...

Counselling Skills for Child Protection

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Practical counselling skills for working with children and families — covering active listening, trauma-informed counselling, crisis intervention, and therapeutic approaches for children experienci...

Social Work Practice

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Foundations of social work practice — covering social work principles, ethics, intervention methods, community practice, and the role of social workers in child protection and family support.

Case Management in Child Protection

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Case management processes in child protection — covering case identification, assessment, care planning, intervention, monitoring, documentation, and case closure in line with national child protec...

Family Support and Intervention

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Working with families in child protection — covering family assessment, family therapy approaches, parenting support, family reunification, and strengthening family capacity to care for children.

Community Development and Mobilisation

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Community-based child protection — covering community mobilisation, child protection committees, community needs assessment, community-based child protection mechanisms, and strengthening community...

Research Methods in Child Protection

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Research methodology for child protection — covering qualitative and quantitative methods, ethical research with children, data collection techniques, and research design for child protection studies.

Programme Monitoring and Evaluation

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Design and management of child protection programmes — covering needs assessment, logical framework approach, M&E frameworks, indicators, data collection, and reporting for child protection interve...

Child Protection Policy and Advocacy

Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

Policy analysis and advocacy for child protection — covering child protection policy in Kenya, advocacy strategies, policy engagement, media advocacy, and the role of civil society in child protect...

Research Project in Child Care and Protection

Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore

Independent research project on a child protection topic — demonstrating mastery of research methods, data analysis, and the ability to design evidence-based interventions for child protection.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Focus on protecting children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation — covering child protection frameworks, safeguarding policies, case management, risk assessment, and intervention strategies for at-risk children.

Child Rights and Advocacy

Focus on child rights advocacy — covering the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Kenyan Children's Act, advocacy strategies, and policy engagement for child welfare.

Counselling and Family Support

Focus on counselling children and families — covering developmental counselling, family therapy, crisis intervention, grief counselling, and support for families experiencing challenges affecting children.

Case Management and Intervention

Focus on case management in child protection — covering case identification, assessment, planning, intervention, monitoring, and documentation of child protection cases in line with national standards.

Community-Based Child Protection

Focus on community-level child protection — covering community mobilisation, child protection committees, community-based child protection mechanisms, and strengthening community capacity to protect children.

Research and Policy Analysis

Focus on research and policy — covering research methods, data collection with children, child protection policy analysis, and evidence-based programme design for child welfare interventions.

HELB Undergraduate Loan

Government Scholarship (New Funding Model)

University Bursaries

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited university programmes.

County Government Bursaries

BursaryKenyan

Residents of respective counties pursuing undergraduate studies

Pwani University Bursaries

BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan

Needy students enrolled at Pwani University, applied through the financial aid office.

Higher Education Fund (HEF)

ScholarshipKsh 120,000Kenyan

Government-sponsored students placed through KUCCPS — covering 53-82% of programme cost based on the student's level of need.

Continuous Assessment Tests

Coursework25% of the mark

Written tests covering child development, child protection law, counselling, and social work — assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.

Field Placement Reports

Coursework30% of the mark

Reports from field placements at children's departments, children's homes, and NGOs — documenting case management experience, interventions, and learning outcomes.

Case Studies and Research Assignments

Coursework20% of the mark

Case study analyses, research papers, programme design assignments, and policy briefs — developing analytical and intervention design skills.

Final Examinations and Research Project

Examination25% of the mark

End-of-semester written examinations and a final-year research project demonstrating mastery of research methods and evidence-based child protection intervention design.

Commission for University Education (CUE)

Academic accreditationRequired

Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes. The Bachelor of Arts in Child Care and Protection is CUE-accredited at Pwani University (KUCCPS programme code 1117322).

Children's Officer / Child Protection Officer

High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Works with the Department of Children's Services or NGOs to protect children from abuse and neglect — conducting case management, investigations, interventions, and family support services.

Social Worker

High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 50,000

Provides social support and case management to vulnerable children and families — working in schools, hospitals, children's homes, and community organisations.

Child Protection Counsellor

Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000

Provides counselling and therapeutic support to children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma — working in NGOs, hospitals, or private practice.

NGO Programme Officer (Child Protection)

Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 60,000

Manages child protection programmes in NGOs — covering programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and stakeholder coordination.

Family Support Worker

Moderate demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 45,000

Works with families to strengthen parenting capacity and prevent child separation — providing family assessment, parenting support, home visits, and family reunification services.

Microsoft Office Suite

SoftwarePrimary

Productivity tools including Word for case reports and proposals, Excel for data management and M&E, and PowerPoint for presentations and training.

Google Workspace

SoftwarePrimary

Collaboration and productivity tools for document creation, team coordination, and communication in child protection work contexts.

SPSS / Statistical Analysis Software

Software

Statistical analysis software for research projects — supporting data analysis, survey processing, and reporting for child protection research.

Case Management Information Systems

Software

Digital case management tools used in child protection — supporting case tracking, incident reporting, beneficiary management, and child protection data management.

University Library and Online Resources

Resource

Physical and digital library resources including social science texts, child protection journals, research databases, and access to online learning platforms.

Child Care and Protection is just about working in children's homes.

Graduates work across government departments, NGOs, schools, hospitals, courts, and international agencies — in roles spanning case management, policy work, advocacy, counselling, and programme management.

The programme is the same as Social Work.

While related, Child Care and Protection specifically focuses on children — covering child development, child protection law, safeguarding, and child-focused interventions, while Social Work covers all populations and social issues.

There are limited career opportunities in child protection.

Kenya faces significant child protection challenges — creating demand for qualified professionals in government, NGOs, and international agencies, with the Department of Children's Services actively recruiting children's officers.

Child protection work is only for women.

Child protection requires both male and female professionals — men are actively needed in the field, particularly as role models, mentors, and in cases where male workers are needed for specific interventions.

The programme does not require academic rigour.

The programme involves law, psychology, research methods, social policy, and case management — it is a rigorous academic discipline combining social science theory with practical application.