Recently, I was giving training on case management to a team working to safely reintegrate institutionalised children into their families. As is usual, the issue of challenging behaviour of the children and where it comes from came up. As we were discussing this, I was suddenly struck by a link to something Trevor Noah – a South African comedian in the US – said so eloquently last year.
Continue reading “Children’s Lives Matter, So Let’s Fix the Contract”Tag: #neglect
Bucharest Early Intervention Project
On the last day of the DI conference in Sofia, last month, we were treated to an amazing presentation by the three researchers who set up and are running the Bucharest Early Intervention Project. This is a longitudinal study done in Romania to compare the outcomes for 136 children who were placed in an institution and of whom half stayed in the institution – as they would have if the research project had not taken place – and half were placed in high quality foster care, set up by the research team. And in addition 72 children who grew up in their own families, having never been placed in care, were followed as a comparison group.
Continue reading “Bucharest Early Intervention Project”Limitations to the Use of Small Group Homes
There is increasing debate among people involved in designing alternative care for children as to whether or not small group homes are an acceptable option that is in the best interest of the children. There is no consensus on this yet. In fact, I have recently put in a bid to be allowed to do the literature review that SOS Children’s Villages is commissioning to get an overview of the research done on this.
Continue reading “Limitations to the Use of Small Group Homes”State-Run vs Private-Run Institutions
In previous blogs a lot of mention is made of the orphanage industry: private individuals opening an ‘orphanage’, recruiting children and pocketing the money given by donors. This is a heinous practice and it must be stopped. However, the focus on this may have given the impression that privately-run institutions are the worst form of institutions around. If only that were true…
Continue reading “State-Run vs Private-Run Institutions”Children with Disabilities
A five-year-old girl, who weighs 6kg and spend 20-22 hours a day in a baby crib that is a bit too small for her, at an adoption centre where she has lived for over 4 years now. All because she has cerebral palsy.
Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. A good time to take a moment to look at the situation of children with disabilities in institutions. Unfortunately, it is not a pretty one.
Continue reading “Children with Disabilities”