Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Foster Care Placement has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with rehabilitation of street children. This growing interest reflects the recognition that foster care placement does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Ogun State.

Ogun State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While foster care placement is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on rehabilitation of street children within Ogun State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to foster care placement are helping or hindering rehabilitation of street children — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Foster Care Placement on rehabilitation of street children in Ogun State.
2. To assess the extent to which foster care placement influences rehabilitation of street children within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with foster care placement in relation to rehabilitation of street children.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing foster care placement in order to improve rehabilitation of street children.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of foster care placement on rehabilitation of street children in Ogun State?
2. To what extent does foster care placement influence rehabilitation of street children within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with foster care placement in relation to rehabilitation of street children?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize foster care placement in order to improve rehabilitation of street children?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around rehabilitation of street children. For managers and practitioners within Ogun State, the study provides practical insight into how foster care placement can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on social work by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this PhD study confines itself to Ogun State, focusing specifically on how foster care placement relates to rehabilitation of street children within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.