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.

‘Orphanages’ Luring Children with the Promise of an Education

Posted on January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 by Florence

All around the world, people are becoming more and more aware of the importance of educating children. People are realising that the best chance their children have of escaping poverty or moving up in the world, is to go to school, preferably past primary level.

In itself, this is a positive development. It has caused more and more children to be sent to school and to be given greater opportunities. However, unfortunately there is also a flip-side to the desire for education: children ending up in institutions.

Podcast Volunteering in ‘Orphanages’

Posted on January 14, 2019March 30, 2024 by Florence

To compliment the blog The Danger of Voluntourism (HERE) this podcast gives some real-life examples of practical things that may not have the intended result. Something to consider for everyone thinking about volunteering in an ‘orphanage’.

The next podcast will be posted in four weeks.

Please share this podcast to help spread awareness.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:11 — 16.6MB)

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Poverty as Reason for Separation from Parents

Posted on January 10, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

Everyone one pretty much agrees that poverty should never be a reason for children to be separated from their parents. The UN Guidelines for Alternative Care specifically states that no child should be taken away from their parents because of poverty. And very many countries have this stated in their legislation as well.

And yet… in many countries, poverty is known to be one of the main reasons – and often THE main reason – for children ending up institutions. Why this is the case is complicated and multi-faceted.

Why Are They There?

Posted on January 7, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

In Guatemala 75% of parents with children in institutions surveyed said that with a little support, they would be able to take care of their own children. These are the things we need to look for. In order to know how to get children out of institutions, it is helpful to find out how they got there. This will give a starting point to finding out what needs to be done to prevent the children from ending up in institutions.

‘How Do I Do It?’

Posted on January 3, 2019January 2, 2019 by Florence

As long as I have been involved in institutional childcare – whether trying to improve conditions or trying to eradicate it -, meaning twelve years now, I have been asked the question ‘How do you do it?’ It seems fitting to start the new year with an attempt at answering this.

The question can refer to different things. However, more often than not it refers to how I deal with seeing children deprived of so much, and how I deal with seeing children sick, or even with witnessing their death. I quite understand why people would think that these are the hardest things to deal with, but for me, they aren’t really.

Increasing Momentum of Deinstitutionalisation

Posted on December 31, 2018December 8, 2019 by Florence

As the year draws to a close, it seems almost inevitable to look back and to look forward. Because my work and life are completely entangled with children in institutions and the quest to get them out of there, this features heavily in these ponderings, even on a personal level, for me.

I invite you along with me, as I look back and look ahead. I feel the past year has been a good one, for moving children towards family-based solutions.

Becoming Aware and Becoming Involved

Posted on December 27, 2018September 30, 2019 by Florence

Last summer, I was having dinner with some people and one of them told me that a friend of his was running a children’s home, somewhere in Africa. He said that there was a real need for that kind of thing, to keep the children safe and well. I told him that I understood his admiration and his friend’s good intentions, but that unfortunately this was not in the best interest of the children. In about five minutes, I outlined the consequences of institutionalisation and the orphanage industry that is blooming around it and the alternatives that give children far better chances in life and are more cost-effective.

The man sat there pretty gobsmacked, as he was processing the information. Later he told me that that conversation had turned his life upside down. If you have been reading the blogs of the past four months without any prior knowledge about the effects of institutionalisation, it is likely that you are feeling much the same.

The Meaning of Child Protection

Posted on December 21, 2018December 21, 2018 by Florence

With just a few days to go until Christmas, many people ask if we still really understand the meaning of Christmas. And with reason. However, apart from struggling to recall the Christian sense behind Christmas, most people struggle on a much larger scale to see or care about what is happening to vulnerable children.

The combination of Christmas coming up and the work that I do regularly points my mind towards a song that has always had a great significance to me. I would like to share it with you here.

Where Are the Refugee Children?

Posted on December 18, 2018September 30, 2019 by Florence

Why, you may ask, am I suddenly looking at a blog about refugee children? That is rather a different subject than institutional childcare or alternative care, isn’t it? Well, yes and no. It is its own, vast and complicated subject. But it is definitely tied in with institutional childcare and alternative care as well.

As part of research data that I have gathered, I have statistics on refugee flows for 2015. This is information on how many people left a particular country as refugees, how many refugees were being hosted by the country and how many people were internally displaced, and for some countries I also have information one what percentage of this group consists of children.

Podcast Effects of Institutionalisation

Posted on December 17, 2018March 30, 2024 by Florence

This podcast tells the story of a little girl whose changing situation illustrates several of the effects of not having basic essential needs met.

If while listening to the podcast you wonder why for example the location is not mentioned, please listen to the first podcast, where these things are explained.

The next podcast will be posted in four weeks.

Please share the podcast to help raise awarenesss.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:17 — 20.6MB)

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