Displaying 11 - 20 of 311
There are numerous factors that can result in a child being at risk of experiencing family separation. Issues can be complex, multifaceted and involve child protection, family functioning, service access and poverty related concerns. In many cases, the outcome for a child, in particular whether separation is successfully prevented or not, is as contingent upon the approach employed by social workers as it is the underlying factors at play.
In this video, Grace Mwangi, a Program Consultant with Lumos, shares key lessons from her experience working in community-based social work with…
Abstract
Elevate Children Funders Group (ECFG), a consortium of foundations dedicated to building strong families and a life free from violence for all children, strongly believes and supports the idea that children are best able to thrive and reach their full potential when they remain with their families and communities rather than living in residential care. Years of research has shown that orphanages often expose children to serious abuse, harm and neglect, can impact a child’s physical and psychological development and is often much more expensive than family or…
Abstract
This article reflects different programmes and resource components that may be promoted to keep children with either their own family or within alternative family care, satisfying the rights of their overall development. In India, the concept of promoting family-based care mechanisms through government systems has not been fully realised, owing to lack of synergy between resource allocation and existing government programmes, policies and plans of action for child protection. Additionally, the common public discourse is that Child Care Institutions (CCIs) offer…
ABSTRACT
Notwithstanding the importance of the contemporary orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) care and support systems, the extended family system remains the most prominent and pivotal safety net for OVC within the rural tribal communities of Zimbabwe. This paper examines the efficacy of extended family system in OVC care and support in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe. This a qualitative phenomenological study was used to gather data of the lived experiences and perceptions of the 10 caregivers of Batanai HIV/AIDS service organization support groups and 10 OVC purposively sampled in the…
Over 1 million EU citizens live in institutions, which segregate them from society and deny them control over their own lives. Many more are at risk of being institutionalised as a result of lack of adequate support services.
EU funding has been instrumental in improving the lives of many of these citizens. It has contributed to the development of new family-based and community-based services. And it has contributed to the transition from institutions to family-based and community-based care for thousands of people.
There have also been instances when EU funding was directed…
Abstract
This article describes the impact on social services of an innovative model of family care in Moshi, Tanzania, aimed at orphaned children and youth who are affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. We explore three questions: Is social capital created during the provision of social work services? If so, what aspects of the model are responsible for it? How does this social capital influence the participants’ educational/occupational aspirations and vision of the future? This qualitative study is based on a case analysis of eight adolescents and their caregivers. Data were…
Abstract
African child-rearing has been documented as primarily social in nature and driven by community, responsibility, and respect for elders (Nsamenang B (1992) Human development in cultural context: a third world perspective. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE; Weisner et al. African families and the crisis of social change, Bergin and Garvey, Westport, CT, 1997). Socially distributed care is common and reflects strong kinship ties that serve as a social welfare system in times of need as well as the glue of teaching tradition. The practice of child migration (fosterage) in and out of kin…
Leher has been implementing a pilot community led child protection intervention in the District of Madhubani, Bihar, India since 2014, using participatory processes to test and learn the potential of local leadership of communities in demanding and securing child rights and protection. Leher’s vision is a society where caring families, alert communities and a responsive government work together to ensure rights and protection for every child.
In June 2017, Leher developed a “Virtual companion aka a VCPC Tool Kit” in partnership with the State Government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra State…
Abstract
This paper interrogates traditional African community values; the family; wellness; and the impact of westernization on African family value systems. The paper is based on literature and studies by the academic community. It reviews related literature on the African extended family system and how it caters for orphans in their communities. The central argument in the paper is that in traditional African culture, there were ‘no orphans’ as parentless children were cared for within the kin system. This paper shows how the extended family heads were involved in the promotion of…
Introducción
Uno de los mayores contribuyentes a la vulnerabilidad de los niños en todo el mundo es la separación del amor, cuidado y protección de su familia. La pérdida del cuidado de los padres tiene muchas causas. Para los millones de niños de todo el mundo que han estado o están en riesgo de estar separados de sus familias debido a la pobreza, la enfermedad, la discapacidad, el abuso o cualquier otra causa, no existen soluciones simples o “una única solución para todos”. Sin embargo, hay un creciente cuerpo de investigación y orientación basada en la evidencia para informar a los…