Six years have passed since the start of Family-Based Solutions. The past year has brought an interesting combination of continuing involvement in projects and exciting new things.
Continue reading “The Sixth Year of Family-Based Solutions”Tag: #FamilyBasedSolutions
Raising Funds for the Compendium Project
The compendium project – bringing together and doing a quality analysis of all available practical tools for implementing alternative care reform and making them easily accessible – continues to progress. However, progress has been slower recently, because I am currently unable to fully dedicate myself to the project.
To reduce the delays inevitable in fully self-funding the compendium project, I have started a fundraiser on GoFundMe. If you would like to help ensure that free access to the outcomes of the project is available around the world as soon as possible, you can donate HERE. Sharing the GoFundMe link is much appreciated too.
The Fifth Year of Family-Based Solutions
Amazing to already be marking half a decade of Family-Based Solutions. It continues to be astonishing how quickly time passes and how fast things keep developing. Five years ago, I certainly would not have thought to hope that I would be looking back on the kind of year I have had. With some things continuing and various new things appearing and new plans being formed.
Continue reading “The Fifth Year of Family-Based Solutions”A New Name
From today Why Family-Based Solutions will be called Family-Based Solutions. This change is made to reflect the shifting focus of the work I am doing. At the start of September, when the NGO is around for two years, I will post a blog giving more details about how my work is evolving. However, today, I would like to explain the change of name by addressing the shift in broader terms.
Continue reading “A New Name”International Youth Day
In the context of alternative care and institutionalisation, it is important to take a moment to consider International Youth Day, and not just because a lot of teenagers are growing up in institutions. They are, and it is significant, and we will get to that, but there is more.
Continue reading “International Youth Day”International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
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”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.
Please share this to help spread awareness.
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”