Family in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has no single family office. Family support is shared among parents, relatives, extended families, communities, local councils, chiefs, social services, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), the Family Court and the police. Formal, customary and religious arrangements may exist alongside informal care, so the responsible institution depends on the problem. All marriage in Sierra Leone has a minimum age of 18. Under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024, child marriage, betrothal and cohabitation with a child under 18 are prohibited. The Act took effect on 14 December 2024 and removed earlier consent exceptions involving parents or guardians. Suspected child marriage should be reported without delay to the police, the Family Support Unit (FSU), a Child Marriage Prohibition Officer, a Paramount Chief or other chief, a social worker, local authority or Ward Child Welfare Committee. The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs leads policy and coordination, while the Ministry of Social Welfare provides services such as counselling, safe homes, recovery, reintegration and case management. Marriage intentions and civil registration are handled through the NCRA. The process can involve an eligibility or background check, a National Identification Number or other identity document, and verification by the officiating officer. The NCRA website lists a fee of 200,000 SLL for marriage registration, but it does not publish a standard processing time. A divorce becomes registrable after the High Court issues the final decree or Decree Absolute; the NCRA website also lists a 200,000 SLL registration fee. Customary and community ceremonies may remain practically significant, but civil registration supplies the formal record used for many legal and administrative purposes. Birth registration should take place within 90 days. Registration within that period is free according to the available NCRA information. For late registration, the NCRA lists a 10,000 SLL delay charge and a 30,000 SLL fee for a certified true copy; registration after 12 months requires the Director-General’s consent. A birth certificate and NIN support legal identity, access to services and age verification. Parentage may be shown through the birth register, a customary ceremony, acknowledgement or refusal of a medical test. The Family Court can order a medical test where parentage is disputed. Although about 90% of births of children under five are reported as registered, only about 30% are reported to have a birth certificate usable as proof, so families should keep the certificate safely and obtain certified copies when needed. Parents and other legally responsible adults must provide a child with a safe and nurturing upbringing, health care, basic education and reasonable shelter. The available official text for the Children’s Rights Act 2025 identifies the child’s best interests as the primary consideration and recognises rights to a name, nationality, identity, knowledge of natural parents and extended family, and family care unless living with the family would cause significant harm or would not serve the child’s best interests. The text also places duties on the state to support families and children without parental care. Its commencement field is not completed in the supplied source, so the operative status of individual provisions should be checked with the responsible authority or a qualified adviser. The father’s maintenance responsibility applies regardless of whether the child was born within marriage. A parent, family member or person raising the child can apply to the Family Court for custody or access. The court considers the child’s best interests, age, views, relationships with siblings, continuity of care and whether each parent can provide a safe home. A non-custodial parent may receive access. A maintenance order can consider income, wealth, earning capacity, other children and local living costs, and may require periodic payments, a lump sum, arrears or attachment of income. It can also cover pregnancy and delivery costs and an allowance for the mother during pregnancy and for up to nine months after birth. Orders normally continue until the child turns 18 or becomes gainfully employed. Enforcement action may be taken after 30 days, and the law allows fee waivers, although the applicable tariff is not published. The MoGCA Probation Unit can assist with family mediation, custody, access and separated-family matters. The Family Court handles parentage, custody, access and maintenance through an informal and non-adversarial process, with privacy protections and legal representation for children where required. The FSU combines police investigation and prosecution with social-service welfare and rehabilitation. The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs operates the 116 toll-free line through Orange, Africell and QCELL; police emergency number 900 is another reporting option. In 2022, the Sierra Leone Police recorded 8,899 domestic-violence reports and 11,613 offences against women and children. These are reports, not measurements of total prevalence. Family and community care generally receive priority when a child cannot remain safely with parents. Poverty alone is not a reason to remove a child or place the child in alternative care. Case work may involve family tracing, reunification and community reintegration. A non-relative foster placement generally requires an application, social-services or protection-officer involvement and court approval. A foster parent must be at least 21 and show high moral character and integrity; a relative may foster without the same application requirement. Foster parents have maintenance duties similar to those of parents, and the Ministry monitors placements through scheduled or unannounced visits. Residential homes require local-council licensing and inspection. Adoption requires a High Court order, Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs approval, the required status and consents, and NCRA registration. The NCRA lists a fee of 200,000 SLL where the adopting parent is a citizen and 300,000 SLL where the adopting parent is not a citizen; no standard processing time is published. Day-care providers require a local-council permit, payment of the prescribed fee and inspection. Existing providers must apply within six months after the commencement of the relevant Children’s Rights Act provisions. Local councils must inspect at least every six months. When a family member dies, death registration through the NCRA creates the legal record; the available information identifies a 90-day registration window, but published fees and processing times are not consistent. The Devolution of Estates Act 2007 protects spouses, children, parents, relatives and dependants regardless of religion or ethnic origin, and includes natural and adopted children. A surviving spouse or child may have rights connected with the family home. Chieftaincy, community and other excluded property can follow different rules. Interference with a widow’s or dependant’s inheritance can be reported to the police or FSU and pursued through legal aid or the courts. Access to these services varies between urban and rural areas, and formal services often operate alongside community and kinship arrangements.