Paper short abstract:

In West Africa, child fosterage is a highly accepted form of childcare. Its persistence was challenged by Euro-American norms about parenthood and by the introduction of a formal state education system. However, state-introduced schooling had some contradictory effects on fosterage practices which are to be discussed in the paper.

Paper long abstract:

In West Africa, child fosterage is a widespread and highly accepted form of child care within the extended family. Its persistence was deeply challenged by two factors: Firstly, the introduction of Euro-American norms about biological parenthood as the right way of child care transformed old practices and norms. Secondly, the introduction of a formal state education system - schooling - provided new career possibilities for children which put new emphasis onto the question who decides about the future of a child.

However, beside of weakening the old forms of child care, state introduced schooling has a contradictory effect on practices of fosterage: As schools are not available in rural areas, new forms of (kinship organized) fosterage had to be introduced.

The paper discusses these contradictory effects of state-introduced schooling with the case study of the Bataombu in Northern Benin. It raises the question in which way state-introduced transformations in child care can provide new kinship-based forms of child care.