Orphanage caregivers' perceptions of children's emotional needs

•We studied Ghanaian institutional caregivers' views of children's emotional needs•Qualitative data was gathered from 92 staff at eight orphanages in Ashanti region•Participants described an understanding of children’s emotional needs, but lacked training/support to attend to these.•Training regarding children’s attachment needs is needed for staff to strengthen their capacity to provide effective care.

Problems in orphan care are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where 80% of all children orphaned by AIDS live. Institutions are often the only level of care available for infant orphans, but such care may increase children's risk for psychological, emotional and developmental problems. This study explores Ghanaian institutional caregivers' views of children's emotional and relational needs with the aim of understanding these caregivers' capacities to provide effective care for orphans. Qualitative data was gathered from 92 staff at eight Ghanaian orphanages. Results indicate that while caregivers describe a basic understanding of children's emotional and interpersonal needs, they detail a lack of training and support necessary to fully attend to these needs. Specifically, training for caregivers regarding children's basic attachment needs and the particular emotional needs of orphaned children is critical. The present study suggests the need for training and interventions to strengthen orphanage caregivers' capacity to provide effective orphan care.