Abstract

The interplay between the role of state and non-state actors in providing alternative care services for children in Tanzania is a phenomenon requiring closer examination. The legal and institutional framework regulating alternative care services vests the care and discharge of services for children deprived of their family environment primarily in the state. The law, however, acknowledges that the state cannot fully and effectively discharge this duty without the support and cooperation of non-state actors and the community. Thus, the state can enter into agreements with various non-state actors (NSAs) to provide selected alternative care services. It is apparent that alternative care services for children in Tanzania are predominantly led by non-state actors, who appear to have adequate resources to facilitate the provision of various services. The main argument of this contribution is that imbalanced power relations between state and non-state actors affect the creation of a clear national vision towards quality alternative care services for children and jeopardise the realisation of the right to alternative care.