#poverty

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Posted on October 17, 2019October 16, 2019 by Florence

Progress has been made on the road towards eradication of poverty, but there is a long way, still to go. Especially since in recent years income inequality in many countries has been growing again, after it shrunk for a period. It is strange, that in the face of so much evidence, there are still people who think: ‘I don’t care about all those poor people, as long as I can grow my wealth’. When it has been proven over and over again that when income inequality is reduced and poverty is aleviated, the entire economy benefits and everyone is better off.

Poverty is one of the main reasons why children end up in institutions, and may also be a reason for them eding up in other forms of alternative care. In previous blogs (HERE and HERE), I have written about how we can prevent children from ending up being separated from their family due to poverty, without having to accomplish complete eradication. In this blog, I would like to outline what eradication of poverty – or something close to it – could do for reducing the need for alternative care.

Ending Poverty Is Too Much to Ask

Posted on April 5, 2019March 12, 2019 by Florence

Poverty is a major reason for children ending up in care and especially for them ending up in institutions, as we have seen in various blogs (HERE and HERE). So combating poverty is an important part of ending institutionalisation. However, this does not mean that we have to put an end to poverty world-wide in order to prevent children from ending up in institutions.

Making Education Accessible

Posted on January 28, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

‘Education is the golden bullet’, a cliché maybe, but that does not make it less true. As mentioned in the blog about education driving children into ‘orphanages’ (HERE) earlier this month, people all around the world are becoming more and more aware of the potential of education for lifting people out of poverty. This makes them willing to send their children to an institution to make sure that they get this marvellous chance.

Unfortunately, the damage done by institutionalisation to a child’s brain development will almost always outweigh the benefits of getting an education. For a child really to get the full benefit of being educated, this needs to be combined with growing up in a family-environment. So, we need to look for other solutions.

Combating Poverty, the Cheaper Option

Posted on January 24, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

As mentioned in the blog at the start of the month (HERE) poverty is very high on the list of reasons why children end up being separated from their parents, and in many cases institutionalised. This is something that can be tackled relatively simply.

When I talk about poverty relief, I am not talking about pie-in-the-sky wishes like an end to hunger globally (and let’s throw in world peace for good measure). Of course I would like to see that, but let’s go one step at a time. In this blog I want to mention a series of practical measures that are already being implemented in many places, including in some low-income countries. Measures that have been shown to be very effective, as well as very cost-effective.

What About Parental Problems?

Posted on January 21, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

Wait a minute, you might say, didn’t you say in the overview that some children need to be taken away from their families for their own protection? Because they are being abused or neglected, or because they are surrounded by domestic violence or substance abuse. Nothing to be done there…

While it is true that there will always be some children who need to be removed from their families for their protection, this is actually only a very, very small group… IF support systems are in place. Even when parents are facing serious problems or are really struggling to raise their children, very often it is possible to help out in ways that allow the child to stay with the family, safely.

Disability as Reason for Institutionalisation

Posted on January 17, 2019September 30, 2019 by Florence

As the momentum of the global movement towards deinstitutionalisation is growing, the proportion of children with disabilities in institutions is growing. In many countries, children are being moved from institutions to family-based alternatives, but in this process the children with disabilities are left behind. Often for many of the same reasons that had them end up in the institutions in the first place.

‘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.

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.