Better Care Network highlights recent news pieces related to the issue of children's care around the world. These pieces include newspaper articles, interviews, audio or video clips, campaign launches, and more.
While adoptions to the United States are in steep decline, more U.S. children are being adopted abroad in countries such as the Netherlands. Most of the U.S. children being adopted abroad are African American babies, and some experts believe birth mothers are choosing non-U.S.
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 the way a developing child’s brain functions, but changes the actual structure of the brain itself.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In his blog post, Harold Goodwin explains how learning about the unintended negative impacts of orphanage volunteering and how the decision was made to remove orphanage volunteering trips from responsibletravel.com’ offerings.
On Wednesday, July 31 2013, UNICEF launched its “#ENDviolence against children” campaign.
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."
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.