Indigenous cultures continue to be more and more at risk of disappearing. For many decades, colonial powers have actively worked to try to wipe out indigenous languages and ways of life. Unfortunately, they have been quite effective at this. Although the tide has turned and the right to honour the indigenous cultures and languages and to live with them have finally been acknowledged, in many places there are few people left who are still familiar with them. So, it becomes a struggle to survive.
Continue reading “International Day of the World’s Indigenous People”Author: Florence
I am the founder of and consultant at Family-Based Solutions. I have started this website and this community, and I am the moderator. I have been involved in alternative care since 2007, having been involved up close in China, Brazil, India, Kenya and Myanmar.
Initially I ran another NGO dedicated to improving the chance of survival and the quality of life of children in institutions, over time getting more and more involved with family-based alternatives and community services. In 2018 I folded the previous NGO and founded Family-Based Solutions. You can find more information on what I do now on the other pages of this website.
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
Unfortunately trafficking in people, and in children, is still big business, all around the world. There are practically no countries that are not a source, destination or transit country for child trafficking. This is something that needs to be tackled, and in order to be able to tackle it, we need to be aware of the problem. As well as of the fact that child trafficking is closely related to institutionalisation of children.
Continue reading “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons”Rethinking Group Homes
For a long time, it was thought that if it was difficult to place a child with a foster family, placing him in a small group home was a suitable alternative. Group homes were seen as imitating families and where therefore expected to have a similar beneficial effect.
Over the past couple of years, experts have come back from this position, because there is too much evidence pointing in the opposite direction.
Continue reading “Rethinking Group Homes”Podcast Education
In today’s podcast we look at the role that access to education plays in preventing institutionalisation. And also at what the promise of institutions to provide education may end up meaning.
The next podcast will be posted in five weeks.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:50 — 16.2MB)
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Supporting Young Adults After Foster Care
After looking at why it is important to continue to provide support of young adults who were in alternative care on their 18th birthday (HERE) two weeks ago. And looking at the kind of aftercare needed by young adults who grew up in institutions (HERE) last week. This week we are going to have a look at the options for young adults who grew up in foster care.
Continue reading “Supporting Young Adults After Foster Care”Supporting Young Adults After Institutionalisation
In last week’s blog, I described how the transition of being cared for as a child to living independently as an adult should happen gradually for young adults, in order to be successful. I also mentioned that unfortunately support for care leavers is often still lacking and young adults are left to fend for themselves once they reach the age of 18.
This week I want to talk about how to support young adults who have grown up in an institution, once they venture out into the world.
Continue reading “Supporting Young Adults After Institutionalisation”Support Can’t End at Age 18
When alternative care is discussed or arranged – no matter whether it is family-based or institutional – in many cases thoughts only reach as far as the child’s 18th birthday. At that point the child is no longer a child, she has become an adult. And so, the obligation to provide care, whether under the law or under Child Rights, disappears into a puff of smoke.
In far too many cases and countries care provisions and support end on that very day. The child is waved off at the door of the institution, or made to move out of her foster family, and is expected to take care of herself now.
Continue reading “Support Can’t End at Age 18”World Refugee Day
When it comes to most of the ‘International Day of….’ and ‘World …. Day’s, they have been instated to raise awareness and are quite effective at that, meaning that over the years they come to seem less and less relevant, after all most people are aware. With World Refugee Day the opposite appears to be the case. More people than ever appear to be aware of the existence of refugees, yet at the same time fewer people than ever appear to have real awareness of what they are talking about.
Continue reading “World Refugee Day”International Albinism Awareness Day
Albinism – being ‘an albino’ – is a condition where a person’s body does not produce any pigmentation. This leads to white hair, a very pale (or pink, because you can see the blood vessels through it) skin and eyes that are blue, but in such a pale way that the redness of the back of the eye shines through it.
Pigmentation is important to protect the skin and the eyes from UV radiation. Without this protection a person is far more likely to develop skin cancer. The eyes have very low tolerance for bright light and may have other problems with vision. This in itself deserves awareness raising. However, unfortunately there are greater problems attached to Albinism in certain parts of the world.
Continue reading “International Albinism Awareness Day”Podcast Healthcare
In today’s podcast the wider meaning of ‘access to healthcare’ is explored. Having a doctor within travelable distance is important, but if that doctor is unable to provide the care needed, can it really be called access to healthcare? This is important because lack of access to healthcare is one of the reasons behind children being institutionalised.
The next podcast will be posted in five weeks.
Please share this to help spread awareness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:30 — 17.3MB)
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