Studies from various parts of West Africa consistently show that many children present late to hospitals, even with severe illness. This is where child welfare and social services are meant to come in. In Ghana, for example, there is a formal Child and Family Welfare Policy published in 2017. If a child is taken in as a ward of the state to allow necessary medical care, can the system truly sustain that care? Is the child welfare system, in practice, doing more harm than good?