Last week, I discussed the importance of counsellors in setting up alternative care and in transforming care. Now, I want to discuss the part of caseworkers. They too play an essential role in the process.
Continue reading “Caseworkers”Tag: #alternativecare
The Need for Counselling
Too often children who are placed in alternative care, or children who have been moved from an institution to a family – whether it be their own or a new one – are not provided with any counselling. This is a big problem and can even cause a ‘placement break-down’. Meaning it turns out not to be possible any longer for a child to stay in the family she was placed in – even if it was her own – because of emotional and behavioural problems.
Continue reading “The Need for Counselling”Children Need to Have a Say
Children’s voices and opinions are left out of the decision-making process in alternative care far too often. Even when we are talking about decisions that have an enormous impact and will cause big changes in a child’s life. More often than not, children are not even asked for their opinion on what they think would be a good solution, or on what they do and do not want. And if a child courageously tries to make themselves heard, they are often silenced or drowned out.
Continue reading “Children Need to Have a Say”The New Online Alternative Childcare Community
The moment has arrived. As I mentioned already before the summer and at the start of the month, part of Why Family-Based Solutions’ plan is to provide a platform where people who are involved in alternative care, in transformation of care and in child protection, from all over the world, can come together and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. That platform is now available on this website: www.familybasedsolutions.org/community/
Continue reading “The New Online Alternative Childcare Community”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”How the Report Changed My Life
In the past two blogs I have written about what I did for the report ‘Alternative Care for Children Around the Globe’ (which you can download HERE), in this blog I want to tell you something about what the report – or rather the working on the research project that led to the report – has done for me. It is not that often that working on a project makes you change the direction of your life and work, but in this case, it really did.
Continue reading “How the Report Changed My Life”Developing the Report
A week ago the report ‘Alternative Care for Children Around the Globe’ was made available to the public (it can be downloaded HERE). In the previous blog, I wrote about how I ended up starting this enormous project in the summer of 2015. This week I would like to dive into another question that I get asked quite a lot with regards to the report: How did you find all of that information?
Continue reading “Developing the Report”The Report Is Out
This week a major milestone was reached: ‘Alternative Care for Children Around the Globe’, the report giving an overview of the child protection and alternative care situation – and circumstances that impact it – for all autonomous countries in the world, was finally finished. It is now available to the public as a free download, which you can find HERE.
Continue reading “The Report Is Out”