23 July 2014
This piece, written by Aselefech Evans, a woman adopted from Ethiopia when she was five years old, addresses the issue of family preservation and international adoption.
17 July 2014
The Mexican Attorney General’s office is opening up an investigation into previous abuse allegations brought against a children’s home in Zamora, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico.
07 July 2014
The Heads of State of the Caribbean region endorsed the Call to Action to end the placement of children under three years of age in residential care institutions at the 35th CARICOM conference.
01 July 2014
Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, (SRSG on VAC), Marta Santos Pais, promoted a Cross-Regional Round Table on the prevention of violence in early childhood on June 30 and July 1, 2014 with representatives from several regional organisations.
29 June 2014
The US President is preparing an emergency request to Congress for additional powers to enable the fast-track deportation of tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America who are crossing the US border illegally.
14 June 2014
Recent controversy around the accuracy of a famed Cambodian woman’s story of sex trafficking has shone a light on the current state of many Cambodian orphanages and their duplicitous practices.
04 June 2014
Faith to Action's latest publication, "Children, Orphanages, and Families: A Summary of Research to Help Guide Faith-Based Action" is now available online
02 June 2014
This article, produced by the BBC, reports on the growing number of unaccompanied children who immigrate to the United States from Mexico and Central America each year.
23 May 2014
The video presents a news clip from NTV Kenya reporting on recent changes in Kenyan adoption policy.
18 May 2014
This BBC article tells the story of two families, like many other families in China, who need intensive medical attention for their children but cannot afford it, and the difficult decisions they have to make.
24 April 2014
This article by Tengrinnews reports that Kazakhstan plans to introduce major changes to its orphans and disadvantaged children programs with the closing of orphanages and a move towards family based alternatives.
24 April 2014
This video documents Save the Children's work in Armenia to reform the child protection system, including its use of the Guidelines for Alternative Care as a roadmap to focus on supporting a range of appropriate family environments for children without appropriate care.
22 April 2014
This article reviews the recent judgment by the Supreme Court of India, which ruled that all that all persons, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, have the option of adopting a child under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) (JJ) Act 2000.
20 April 2014
This article highlights the impact three recent television documentaries on British television have had on public awareness and understanding of foster care and adoption processes.
14 April 2014
Th Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure enters into force following its ratification by the required 10 countries.
14 April 2014
SOS Children's Villages is offering a paid internship based in its international office in Vienna to support a global campaign team in the day to day running and future development of its global advocacy Care For Me project
27 March 2014
The purpose of this consultancy is to map child care organizations and coordination efforts in Eastern and Southern Africa and recommend how best BCN can collaborate with the different actors as well as recommend how a collaborative mechanism can inform and guide the Regional Initiative.
20 March 2014
This documentary published by Journeyman Pictures investigates the reality behind India's commercial baby surrogate industry.
17 March 2014
A baby hatch in southern China has been forced to suspend work after hundreds of infants were abandoned, overwhelming the centre. Supporters say the baby hatches save lives, but critics say they encourage parents to abandon their children.
16 March 2014
The Faith to Action Initiative is officially launching its new website on the 18th March 2014 with exciting new resources and features. The goal of the Initiative is to provide the Christian faith community–churches, mission groups, and individuals–with valuable resources, inspiring stories, and practical tools to inform and support ministries in response to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children.
15 March 2014
This article reports that the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in Ghana has closed down 48 children’s homes and orphanages since 2007 because they were unregistered.
13 March 2014
This article reviews a new book by Charles A. Nelson, Nathan A. Fox and Charles H. Zeanah who conducted seminal studies in Romania on children who were institutionalised, comparing their developmental and well-being outcomes to children who were placed in foster care or adoptive families.
13 March 2014
This article reports on the growth of baby hatches in China, despite falling numbers of abandoned children. Where abandoned children used to be primarily girls, most of these children nowadays are sick or have a disability.
12 March 2014
The Human Dignity Foundation (HDF) invites organisations to respond to a Call for Proposals on child protection. The purpose of the call is to identify projects that will contribute to ensuring that ‘all children are safer at home and in the community’.
24 February 2014
This report by NPR discusses the findings and implications from the research conducted on children who spent time in Romanian orphanages and the critical role of parental bonding in children’s brain development.
09 February 2014
This article reports on delays in the implementation of a two-year-old law aimed at caring for orphans in the United Arab Emirates apparently linked to the delayed construction of a new and expanded shelter.
05 February 2014
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare’s Department of Child Welfare and Probation Services in Zimbabwe is inviting applications from suitably qualified and experienced individuals or organisations to undertake a Baseline Survey on Children Deprived of Parental Care Living in Residential Child Care Facilities.
21 January 2014
UNICEF Myanmar has issued a call for Expression of Interest for the Development of a Training Curriculum for the Department of Social Welfare Case Managers and mentoring and coaching package for newly-assigned Department of Social Welfare Case Managers
18 January 2014
Better Care Network is looking for an intern to support its knowledge management platforms as well as BCN’s policy, advocacy and research efforts.
14 January 2014
This article reports on a mushrooming of children's institutions in Uganda and the poor standards of care and abuse met by children in those institutions.
11 January 2014
Family for Every Child has commissioned a research study to identify gaps in knowledge and understanding around foster care and is seeking literature, both published and unpublished ‘grey’ literature, covering the research questions and foster care in general.
08 January 2014
This article highlights the efforts of a lobby group in New Zealand, CCS Disability Action, which is demanding an amendment as part of sweeping child protection reforms, arguing that children with high needs are being abandoned and denied their right to a family life.
07 January 2014
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Philippines has appealed to families and individuals taking care of children orphaned due to Typhoon Yolanda to register under the Rapid Family Tracing and Reunification (RFTR) Program.
02 January 2014
Child protection and NGO workers are pleading with tourists and volunteers to stay away from orphanages in Cambodia, claiming so-called “orphanage tourism” damages the children and enables exploitation.
01 January 2014
This moving short film (7 mins) produced by MenCare examines the circumstance (female partner migrating abroad for work) where one man found himself as the primary caregiver to their children.
19 December 2013
This video by Save the Children highlights the major reforms ongoing in Georgia to end harmful child institutionalisation and the work of its project to support the Government in this reform process.
19 December 2013
This document contains the Technical Bidders Experience Form for the UNICEF consultancy to conduct a Review of Alternative Care in Thailand: Policy to Practice with special focus on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CABA).
18 December 2013
This article highlights a new family tracing program for children in foster care initiated by New York’s Administration for Children’s Services that borrows from Family Tracing and Reunification techniques used by the International Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies for reconnecting separated children with their relatives.
16 December 2013
UNICEF Thailand Country Office is seeking a qualified institution to conduct a Review of Alternative Care in Thailand: Policy to Practice with special focus on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CABA).
16 December 2013
This document contains the Price Proposal Form for the UNICEF consultancy to conduct a Review of Alternative Care in Thailand: Policy to Practice with special focus on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CABA).
16 December 2013
This document contains the RFP for UNICEF Thailand consultancy to conduct a Review of Alternative Care in Thailand: Policy to Practice with special focus on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (CABA).
09 December 2013
The overall objective of this consultancy is to facilitate an interagency process to develop a global campaign and engagement strategy to encourage ethical volunteerism and discourage volunteerism that sustains orphanages.
29 November 2013
Family For Every Child is seeking an experienced researcher who demonstrates knowledge of a range of participatory tools and social research concepts/ approaches.
25 November 2013
Webinar co-hosted by Better Care Network and the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance on Deinstitutionalizing the Alternative Care System for Children: The implications for the social service workforce with learning from Rwanda and Moldova
22 November 2013
This documentary produced for Channel 4 Television goes undercover to explore the reality behind 'Voluntourism' in Nepal.
22 November 2013
Termes de Références pour le recrutement d’un consultant international pour guider une initiative de recherche : comprendre et améliorer les mécanismes informels de protection de remplacement pour une meilleure prise en charge et une meilleure protection des enfants – Regard sur la prise en charge par des proches et le confiage au Sénégal.
22 November 2013
Information from the Mental Health & Psychosocial Network on the Response to the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in the Philippines.
13 November 2013
The overall goal of this consultancy will be to facilitate an interagency process and support the development of a set of tools to monitoring and track the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care for Children.
06 November 2013
On Tuesday, October 22rd, the NGO Committee on UNICEF’s Working Group on Children without Parental Care in collaboration with the Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the Permanent UN Missions of Austria and Brazil hosted an event at the UN, which drew representatives from Member States, the UN and civil society, to review progress on the implementation of the guidelines and share experiences from various regional perspectives.
05 November 2013
UNICEF TOR for Consultancy on conducting functional review of the new child care services in two pilot rayons of Baku City, Azerbaijan.
04 November 2013
UNICEF has issued a Request For Proposal for Designing a large scale five-year (2013 to 2017) child protection violence prevention campaign framework promoting core child protection messages in Malawi.
29 October 2013
U.S. lawmakers call for federal action to prevent parents from giving unwanted adopted children to strangers met on the Internet, and the Illinois attorney general urged Facebook and Yahoo to police online groups where children may be advertised.
24 October 2013
The Commissioner for Children's Rights under the Russian President and the First Deputy Chairwoman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, talk about changes in the field of adoptions and alternative care in Russia during the recent years
18 October 2013
Summary of the Third Committee debate on children's rights at the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York
15 October 2013
In this article for Prism Magazine, a publication of Evangelical for Social Action, the authors ask challenging questions about the role of 'orphanage tourism', where Westerners visit or volunteer to work at a residential care center (orphanage) in the developing world, whether the trip is arranged by a tour or travel company, a nonprofit, or by a church.
15 October 2013
A new report by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) which inspects children's social care in England, including child protection services, said more needed to be done to address "incompetent and ineffective" leadership in children's services.
14 October 2013
An interview with Jordanian journalist, Hanan Khandagji, who uncovered harrowing child abuse cases while researching institutions for disabled children.
10 October 2013
In this article for the New York Review of Books, the Nobel Prize economist Amartya Sen discusses India’s response to the gang rape of a young medical student in Delhi and the complex reality of entrenched gender inequality that underlies violence against women in that country.
26 September 2013
This article in the Guardian reports on a new bill passed by parliamentarian in Iran that includes a clause that allows a man to marry his adopted daughter and while she is as young as 13 years. According to the article, activists and experts inside and outside of Iran have expressed their alarm at the proposal.
17 September 2013
In a series of articles looking at different sides of the debate on the use of Inter-country adoption in the U.S., CNN hears from families, children and experts on its decline and whether the trend could –or should- be reversed.
16 September 2013
This Washington Post article discusses the findings from a major report by the National Academy of Science on child abuse and neglect that found that advances in brain research showed that child abuse and neglect damages not only in the way a developing child’s brain functions, but changes the actual structure of the brain itself.
11 September 2013
Save the Children seeks qualified consultant(s) to undertake a comprehensive technical assistance program on alternative care for orphaned and vulnerable children in Liberia. The successful candidate (s) will partner with Save the Children, World Learning and the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) to describe and assess the current system/activities of the DSW, analyze the existing legal framework, guidelines, protocols, and actors, and produce detailed recommendations for the DSW to develop a comprehensive alternative care system.
09 September 2013
This series of articles by Reuters investigates the disturbing practice of 'private re-homing' of adopted children in the USA, particularly affecting children adopted from overseas. 'Re-homing' also called 'adoption disruption' refers to adoptive parents abandoning their children and handing them out to other adults, often found through internet and social media fora, without any type of formal vetting or procedures.
09 September 2013
The International Foster Care Research Network, in collaboration with Fondazione Emanuela Zancan Onlus, International Association for Outcome-based Evaluation, and Fondazione Paideia Onlus, and under the patronage of the Municipality of Padova, will be hosting its 7th annual network meeting in Padova, Italy from 9 to 11 September, 2013.
30 August 2013
A vital source of information for people working on issues related to children without adequate family care
17 August 2013
It is estimated that about 2 million children around the world are living in institutions, though the true figure may be higher. However, according to this article, the number of institutions globally is in decline.
16 August 2013
The well known radio show This American Life has collaborated with Planet Money to investigate the work of a charity called GiveDirectly. Instead of funding schools or wells or livestock, GiveDirectly has decided to just give money directly to the poor people who need it, and let them decide how to spend it.
01 August 2013
Two baby girls were given over to new adoptive parents live on a television program in Pakistan. The host claims that the babies were not given away as a ploy for ratings, but to unite children in need of a home with new parents looking to welcome them.
31 July 2013
On Wednesday, July 31 2013, UNICEF launched its “#ENDviolence against children” campaign.
30 July 2013
One “ethically-minded” tourism company in the UK is shutting down 10 orphanage tours because the firm believes that “orphanage volunteers, despite their best intentions, are part of the problem rather than the solution for children living in poverty throughout the world."
26 July 2013
According to the article, there are roughly 2,000 illegal adoptions in Poland every year. The commissioner on children’s rights is calling for reform of the adoption law to reduce this number but government ministries seem thus far undecided on how to address this issue.
25 July 2013
This article features the personal stories of parents representing two different experiences of child trafficking in China and its relationship to adoption, both domestic and inter-country.
22 July 2013
This article discusses challenges in the implementation of the Rwanda National Strategy for Child Care Reform (MIGEPROF) adopted in 2010. The reforms aim at transforming Rwanda's current child care and protection system into a family-based one.
15 July 2013
For children separated from their families, the 139 organizations of the South Asia Alliance of Grassroots NGOs (SAAGN) launched the campaign “My Caring Family is My First Right” in June 2013. As part of the campaign, Butterflies, a registered voluntary organization working with street and working children in Delhi, is supporting a new online petition that calls on governments in the region to respect a child’s right to a family.
08 July 2013
PAN has translated its materials into Portuguese, French, and Kiswahili.
08 July 2013
The Child Adoption Network – East Africa is pleased to announce the First Child Adoption Conference in East Africa to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 21 to 22 November, 2013.
02 July 2013
International children’s charity Hope and Homes for Children has received grants totalling £543,651 to help establish family-based care services for abandoned children in Sudan.
02 July 2013
This Public Service Announcement (PSA), produced by Disability Rights International, is part of the organization’s “Worldwide Campaign to End the Institutionalization of Children.”
01 July 2013
One project in the Institute of Development Studies’ “Participate” initiative aims to harness the power of visual imagery and film to communicate the experiences and viewpoints of those on the margins, ensuring that the voices of the vulnerable are included in the post-MDG development agenda. As part of its Child Participation project, Partnership for Every Child Russia is working on the creation of children's digital stories in which children living in group homes in St. Petersburg tell the story of their lives and how they came to the orphanage.
01 July 2013
Save the Children East Africa Regional Office (EARO) and Better Care Network (BCN) are looking to recruit a Better Care Network (BCN) Regional Technical & Knowledge Management Specialist.
27 June 2013
The state cabinet of Goa, India recently approved a foster care scheme to assist children deprived of parental care or the care of guardians and in need of protection.
24 June 2013
This article reports on the findings of research conducted by the TV Programme Panorama on some of the current practices and standards in the children’s residential care system in England, which were described by a charity representing children in care as “extremely worrying”.
14 June 2013
On June 14, 2013, the General Assembly submitted a report in advance of its sixty-eighth session as a contribution to the High-level Meeting of the Assembly on the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals for persons with disabilities. The report reviews good practices and existing approaches to disability-inclusive development and concludes by recommending steps to include disability as an integral part of all development efforts, with a view to contributing to an action-oriented outcome document of the upcoming High-level Meeting.
06 June 2013
The ‘Opening Doors for Europe’s Children’ campaign, led by Eurochild and Hope and Homes for Children seeks to achieve significant progress in policy, legislation and funding at EU and national levels to dismantle institutional care systems and ensure that children are no longer separated from their parents as a consequence of poverty and social exclusion.
30 May 2013
Illuminating many of the observations and conclusions from the UNICEF State of the World’s Children report on children with disabilities, the New Straits Times has published an article on the state of children with disabilities in Vietnam.
28 May 2013
This article, published in the Korea Herald, highlights the recent reforms in Korea’s often-criticized international adoption policy, including some reforms that will help to make the adoption process more transparent.
27 May 2013
This Op-Ed piece indicates the authors’ views on the Korean Minister of Health and Welfare’s recent signing of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. The article speaks to the four ways in which the authors believe the signing of the Convention, and its ultimate ratification and implementation in Korea, would improve the child welfare situation.
14 May 2013
This article, published in the New York Times on May 14, 2013, brings to light a new trend in U.S. adoption: older adults who choose to adopt children, particularly older children and adolescents.
06 May 2013
The grand mufti and head of the Fatwa department at the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai called on Emiratis to come forward to foster abandoned children. Speaking at a forum to discuss children of unknown parentage, Dr. Al Haddad stated that, although adoption is not permitted in Islam, fostering is a moral obligation.
01 May 2013
In this article, Kathryn Joyce the author of a recently published book on the issue titled The Child Catchers: Rescue, Trafficking, and the New Gospel of Adoption chronicles the rapidly growing evangelical movement for international adoption in the United States, and its impact on children and their families, with a particular focus on Liberia.
17 April 2013
This news report highlights the increasing trend towards domestic adoption in Kenya, despite the country’s stringent adoption laws and rigorous procedures for families to adopt. The article discusses the requirements and processes to adopt and the changes in cultural attitudes and lifestyle that may be behind this increase.
15 April 2013
Charts that accompany the article Orphan Fever: The Evangelical Movement’s Adoption Obsession, illustrating the trends in international adoptions from Liberia, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Haiti to families in the United States.
14 April 2013
This report by News 24 highlights the ruling of a High Court in South Africa that grandparents who care for their grandchildren are eligible for foster care grants, regardless of income.
12 April 2013
The International Day for Street Children was celebrated for the third year on April 12, 2013. The Consortium for Street Children wishes to have this day recognized by the UN. To lend your support, please sign the petition.
08 April 2013
This article by the Copenhagen Post reports that adoptions from an Ethiopian orphanage through a Danish adoption agency were recently halted by the Danish Social and Integration minister following recent reports of child neglect at the institution and revelations of the use of ‘child harvesters’ to convince families to put their children up for adoption.
07 April 2013
This news report by the Sydney Morning Herald highlights the trend in which orphanages in Cambodia are often run as businesses where children are being used as economic assets to attract tourists and volunteers. It brings to light the trend of increased number of orphanages while the actual number of orphans is on a decline.
04 April 2013
This article from the Times of India reports that the Central Adoption Resource Authority in India is planning to open 8 new adoption centers in Bihar, acting on the recommendation of the state authorities, to respond to increasing number of domestic adoptions. Most of the children adopted, however, are boys and children without disabilities, although more girls are being abandoned.
03 April 2013
The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has announced new fostering rules for the care of abandoned children. Professional foster mothers will look after children in groups of up to six children in a family setting until more permanent surrogate families can be found for them.
02 April 2013
BBC Newsnight reports on efforts to reform Russia's institutional care system, with a government programme to move tens of thousands of children out of institutions and into family homes running into strong resistance from those benefiting from the State funding attached to this system.
21 March 2013
This new radio report from National Public Radio (NPR) challenges some of the misconceptions about fostering, including that people foster for the money or that foster parents “must be saints to take in other people’s children”. Two main speakers, a foster parent for over 15 years to more than 40 children, and a Professor at the University of Richmond School of Law share their insight and experiences about fostering in the US context.
14 March 2013
Ghana News Agency reports on clarifications given by Ghana’s Department of Social Welfare about children’s placement in orphanages and the country’s commitment to reform the child care system to reduce the use of institutional care and ensure inter-country adoptions are conducted in the best interest of the child.
13 March 2013
The German cabinet has agreed a bill allowing women going through unwanted pregnancies to give birth in hospital under a false name. The draft law is aimed at reducing unsafe births and giving mothers an alternative to abandoning unwanted newborns in so-called baby boxes.
04 March 2013
The handbook of the United Nations approved Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children is to be launched on March 7th, 2013 3:00-4:30pm at Room XXII, Human Rights Council, Palais des Nations, Geneva. The handbook provides practical guidance on moving forward on the road to alternative care provision for children. It highlights implications for policy-making where national governments should provide leadership as well as provides links to what is already being effectively done on the ground.
04 March 2013
The Better Care Network is seeking the assistance of a consultant or a team of consultants, with extensive experience in strategic planning, organizational, network development and child protection and alternative care, to work in close collaboration with the network to develop a three-year strategic plan and recommendations regarding appropriate organizational options to best support the implementation of the strategic plan.
18 February 2013
This new radio report by NPR examines the controversial use of 'baby boxes' or hatches reported to be on the rise across Europe and that has received a lot of attention recently, including from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
16 February 2013
FairStart Training is a free 15 step online program developed by a child psychologist in Denmark, in collaboration with a team of childcare professionals, with support from the European Commission. It is a development program that aims to improve the professional care giving skills of those working with young people in public care (focused on children aged 0-3) through daily practices and organizational development.
11 February 2013
This op-ed written by two U.S. Congresswomen puts forward the case for the adoption of the Help Separated Families Act, a bill introduced by them in Congress that would make it harder to terminate parental rights solely based on immigration status, and would also allow foster children to be placed in the best homes for them, regardless of the immigration status of the potential guardian.
08 January 2013
Following on her New York Times piece in December, 2012, on efforts to try to close down orphanages in Haiti, Emily Brennan discusses debates in the evangelical movement on the approaches used to what some Christian leaders call “orphan care.”
01 January 2013
The Huffington Post has begun “30 Adoption Portraits in 30 Days,” a series designed to give a voice to people with widely varying adoption experiences, including birthparents, adoptees, adoptive parents, foster parents, waiting, adoptive parents, and other touched by adoption. Topics of the articles include, but are not limited to, birth family, adoption process, open adoption, close adoption, foster care, and teen pregnancy.
19 December 2012
The Launch of the United States Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity, the first government wide strategic guidance for U.S. Government international assistance for children. The plan is grounded in evidence that shows a promising future belongs to those nations that invest wisely in their children, while failure to do so undermines social and economic progress.
04 December 2012
This New York Times article by Emily Brennan highlights the consensus developing among Haitian government officials and children’s advocates that a new approach is required to reduce the number of orphanages. But the transition is not easy, and some question whether the country is ready for it.
01 November 2012
In this TED video, Georgette Mulheir, CEO of Lumos, an NGO dedicated to ending worldwide systematic institutionalization, describes how orphanages can cause irreparable damage to children both mentally and physically and urges to end reliance on them by finding alternate ways of supporting children in need.
04 October 2012
2014 is the time line set to re-unite orphaned children with their families. Already in a period of seven months, two orphanages have been phased out. Officials from the National Commission for Children (NCC) say that in less than two months, two more of the 34 targeted orphanages will have been closed.
01 October 2012
This publication was prepared as a background document to inform the discussions and debates during the Fifth International Policy Conference on the African Child held on 29-30 May 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This report examines the rationale behind increasing intercountry adoption in Africa, the main thrust of international standards, the extent and magnitude of African intercountry adoption and its problems and challenges. The paper provides recommendations to this increasing trend and aims to establish a more Pan-African position on the topic of intercountry adoption.
27 August 2012
Throughout Cambodia well-intentioned volunteers have helped to create a surge in the number of residential care homes as impoverished parents are tempted into giving up their children in response to promises of a Western-style upbringing and education. Despite a period of prosperity in the country, the number of children in orphanages has more than doubled in the past decade, and over 70 per cent of the estimated 10,000 'orphans' have at least one living parent.
27 June 2012
When orphans in Ukraine reach adulthood, some are deemed "incapacitated" - a label that consigns them to a life in institutions. But many of these young people may have nothing wrong with them at all. It is an official classification in Ukraine that critics say strips the bearer of basic human rights.
29 May 2012
As debates rage on austerity measures and social spending cuts, a new report reveals the extent of child poverty and child deprivation in the world’s advanced economies. Some 13 million children in the European Union (plus Norway and Iceland) lack basic items necessary for their development. Meanwhile, 30 million children – across 35 countries with developed economies – live in poverty.
01 March 2012
In the next few years, the Rwandan government hopes to close the majority of the country’s children’s homes. Rwanda’s so-called "child deinstitutionalization" (DI) policy, which, despite initial concerns, is attracting global support.
10 June 2011
Event to launch two new reports on importance of deinstitutionalization for all persons
14 February 2011
In 2004 the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) projected a grim future for Swaziland as a consequence of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates. Although the nation is struggling, it is managing to cope.
14 February 2011
Almost 5,000 children are registered as having lost contact with their families - a list that has grown 60% since the earthquake. About a quarter of the children have now been reunited with parents or relatives, but most of the others will find themselves in orphanages. About half of these homesare not registered with local authorities.
30 December 2010
A vital source of information for people working on issues related to children who lack adequate family care.
22 June 2010
Developed to support practitioners around the world in planning for and delivering better care for children who require an out-of-home placement. It contains a selection of practical guides and manuals, chosen as examples of good practice and for their global relevance particularly for low resource settings. They cover the types of policies required to support a quality care system, and practice guidance and tools for the delivery of alternative care.
08 June 2010
Indian Council for Child Welfare, Tamil Nadu is organizing its Second National Conference on Child Abuse for Multidisciplinary Professionals in September 2010. The goal of the conference will be to enhance awareness on the issue, changes and developments in the response to abuse such as the setting up of the Child Welfare Committees and other mechanisms for rescue and rehabilitation of abused children, and above all far more reporting of violence against children. The conference will take place 16-18 September 2010.
18 May 2010
The Russian Union of Social Workers and Social Pedagogues is glad to inform experts in the social sphere about the Fourth International Forum of Social Workers of Siberia and the Far East “Family of the 21-st century. Hope for the Future”. The Forum will take place on 18 – 19 August 2010.
11 May 2010
Ethiopian Womens Affairs Ministry and UNICEF hosted a training for all stakeholders on the 1993 Hague Convention. The training focused on facilitating ways for the adoption of the Hague in line with the laws and regulations of Ethiopia.
23 April 2010
In this opinion piece, written for the Huffington Post, the author explains her views on the institutionalization of children, particularly infants and children under five years old. She concludes with her recommendations for abolishing baby orphanages.
01 April 2010
The National Skills Development Programme of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs Afghanistan and UNICEF Afghanistan look to hire a social work institution for curriculum and training development.
05 February 2010
Compilation of news sources, resources and information related to children in Haiti with particular consideration for identification, tracing and reunification for separated and unaccompanied children.
22 January 2010
Compilation of news sources, resources and information related to children in Haiti with particular consideration for identification, tracing and reunification for separated and unaccompanied children.
22 January 2010
Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson calls for all unaccompanied and/or separated children to be registered, traced and reunited with family where possible and appropriate. This includes children who were in alternative care, such as in crèches and “orphanages”, prior to the earthquake.
22 January 2010
Call for humanitarian response to uphold recommendations set forth in the Guidelines for Alternative Care in regards to care for children in emergencies, preventing family separation and promoting family based care in their community of origin where possible.
22 January 2010
Statement noting potential dangers associated with ICA in emergencies with specific reference to risk of family separation.
22 January 2010
Opinion editorial on risks associated with using intercountry adoption as an emergency response to the needs of children in Haiti
21 January 2010
Member agencies of the Disasters Emergency Committee are calling for international focus to remain on reuniting children who have lost their families during the earthquake in Haiti rather than adopting them out of the country.
21 January 2010
"The desire of the Haitian people, to the extent that this can be done, is for the children to be cared for in Haiti…That is their preference"
30 December 2009
Conference programme, background papers, key policy recommendation from 2009 Wilton Park conference event
01 March 2009
Summary information on recently published book on community strengthening in response to children needs in context of poverty and AIDS
05 November 2008
Call for participants for seminar at European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, 6-9 December
22 August 2008
BCN is collecting resources to be included in our new toolkit for practicioners supporting the delivery of better care to children and youth
04 August 2008
UNICEF, together with WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA and WFP, invites you to the Mexico 2008 AIDS satellite session on "Keeping the promise: Unite for Children. Unite against AIDS". The session will take place on Monday, 4 August, from 6:30PM to 8:30PM in the Banamex Conference Center, Session Room 4.
31 July 2008
International Children & HIV/AIDS Symposium, August 1st & 2nd
20 July 2008
The 34th Biannual Conference of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) is scheduled for July 20-24, 2008, in Durban, South Africa. This conference will focus on the theme of improving social work education and practice in an increasingly globalized world.
10 December 2007
The CWLA National Adoption and Foster Care Training Conference is scheduled for December 10-12, 2007, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference will feature workshops and information on all facets of adoption and foster care.
18 November 2007
The International Foster Care Organisation's European Training Seminar will take place November 18-21, 2007 in Malta. The seminar is aimed at participants from the EU, EEA, CIS, CEE & North Africa, but welcomes people from around the world. It will be followed by the EuroChild annual conference.
01 November 2007
A personal story about adopting a child from Guatemala.
01 November 2007
The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam points to poor regulation as the basis for denying intercountry adoptions.
01 October 2007
Second only to China for Americans seeking children, Guatemala is tightening its rules on intercountry adoption.
01 October 2007
Two families in South Africa absorb children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Their story.
24 September 2007
The first International Conference on Sexual Abuse of the African Child will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24–26 September 2007. The aim of the conference is to advance knowledge regarding the various types of sexual abuse and their complexity in the cultural settings of Africa.
07 August 2007
A resource site based on the first Regional Consultation on Child Care System Reform held in Sofia in early July. The consultation brought together 120 key social welfare delegates from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, UN-administered Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
07 August 2007
Josephine Morgan comes from a poor family. Her father, hoping for a better life for his children, agreed to an offer made by the head of an orphanage to take Josephine, her sister and her young brother.
23 July 2007
In Georgia, UNICEF and EveryChild have teamed up to place children in need of alternative care in small, supervised apartments as an alternative to orphanages.
17 May 2007
Emerging evidence from Mozambique suggests that children fostered after conflict-induced separation receive love, care and support from local families.
17 May 2007
The United States expects to endorse the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, a multilateral treaty intended to protect children by standardizing international adoption procedures, later this year. Guatemalan Congress recently failed to pass a bill recongizing Guatemala's endorsment of the Hague Convention in 2003. Once the United States enforces the Hague Convention (anticipated early 2008), it will refuse permission to adopt Guatemalan children until Guatemala implements the treaty as well.
15 March 2007
Dana Johnson, member of the Budpest Early Intervention Project and a speaker at the BCN-BEIP discussion day, addresses common questions concerning the adotpion of institutionalized children.
01 March 2007
Africa shifts to 'whole village' approach for the care of orphans and other vulnerbale children.
15 January 2007
The Lubuto Library Project seeks to fill an important gap in services to vulnerable children in Africa by providing a bridge to schools and social services otherwise beyond their reach.
01 January 2007
The overarching aim of the BCN FBO Committee is to dialogue with churches, organizations, and leaders in the faith community for the purpose of gathering information about orphan and vulnerable children (OVC) responses already underway, to encourage increased OVC support in general, and promote better care practices.
10 November 2006
"According to the first stage of our research, there is no significant difference between children, based on their orphan status," Quinlan said. Orphaned children are doing as well in school and engaging in the same level of risk behavior as their non-orphaned counterparts.
12 July 2006
The Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) engages practitioners, policymakers, and scholars in collaborative problem-solving, research, and analysis to address the needs of children living in the context of HIV/AIDS.
01 January 2006
The UN Study on Violence Against Children has been launched! The Violence Study explicitly identifies children living in institutional care as being at high risk for violence. Chapter three of the report contains a sub-section on children in care and justice systems.
01 January 2006
Moldova is set to completely reform their national childcare policy, practice and legislation, eventually replacing large institutions with child-focused, family-based alternatives. President Vladimir Voronin made an official announcement outlining the new strategy in May, 2006.