The Department of Children is currently one of the implementing departments of the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWAC). The Department has a Research Division referred to as the Research, Information, and Advocacy Unit. The Division is presently made up of three Senior officers namely; Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi (Head), Mrs. Florence Quartey and Isreal Akrobotu. The Division relies solely on National Service and personnel posted on attachment for most of its outreach programmes.

Though not fully equipped it has over the years been involved in child-related reseach and come out with some published and unpublished materials which have served as reference materials for research and other professional and educational activities. The following are some of the reports published by the Division:

• State of Ghana's Children 1997
• Ghana's Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (1994)
• Ghana's Children 2000
• Ghana's Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (1997-2003)
• Ghana's Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (1997-2005)with the Concluding Observations

The report on a study undertaken in five cocoa administrative regions is yet to be launched and published.

In addition to the published materials, the Division also has carried out a number of studies which have not been published. These include:

• Children's Involvement in Fishing in Kudikope in the Asugyaman District
• Child Commercial Sex Work in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem District
• Voices of Children on the Implementation of the GPRS1
• Children's Involvement in Surface Mining in the Western and Ashanti regions of Ghana

- The use of Child Labour in Plantain Farms in Fanteakwa and Kwawu South Districts

The Department will soon make available on the Internet the above reports.

Compiled by Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi
Head of Research Unit
Department of Children