Family Social Work and Child Development in Southeastern Nigeria: A Narrative Review of Kinship Care, Referral and Follow-up (Published)
In southeastern Nigeria, relatives and teachers may recognise a child’s need before a social worker becomes involved. This narrative review examines what the literature establishes about that transition and what is known about children’s safety and development after assistance is received. A targeted English-language search prioritised southeastern Nigerian evidence and used Nigerian and international studies where they clarified service delivery or intervention outcomes. Kinship studies describe how relatives sustain placements and how children are often excluded from placement decisions. School surveys, interviews with practitioners and referral-centre records identify different points of contact, with little evidence following the same child from recognition through assessment, assistance and follow-up. A Nigerian trial found gains in parenting practices after a combined maternal care intervention. International trials reported gains in selected early developmental outcomes, while estimates of maltreatment reduction varied by reporter and follow-up period. These findings place two responsibilities at the centre of family social work practice: supporting the people who provide day-to-day care and establishing whether the child can obtain professional help when that care is insufficient or unsafe. The evidence for southeastern Nigeria is strongest on how needs become visible and weakest on what changes for children after routine services are delivered.
Keywords: Nigeria, child development, child protection, family social work, kinship care, referral