Canada

This new radio report from US National Public Radio (NPR) challenges some of the misconceptions about fostering, including that people foster for the money or that foster parents “must be saints to take in other people’s children”. Two main speakers, a foster parent for over 15 years to more than 40 children, and a Professor at the University of Richmond School of Law share their insight and experiences about fostering in the US context.

Ces dernières années, l’adoption internationale a petit à petit perdu du terrain suite à des scandales à répétition liés à des cas d’abus, de trafic et de traite d’enfants. La pression de la communauté internationale notamment des pays d’accueil a porté ses fruits et contraint des Etats d’origine à revoir leur fonctionnement, leur législation et leurs procédures.

Au cours des dernières années, l’opinion de la communauté internationale au sujet des adoptions a bien évolué et le changement de paradigme favorise désormais le maintien de l’enfant au sein de sa famille biologique. Au Bénin, Tdh a lancé en 2012 un projet pilote visant à placer des enfants, seuls et victimes de maltraitance ou d’exploitation, dans des familles d’accueil avant de rechercher leur famille biologique. 

The discussion paper provides an overview of existing definitions of formal care within the UN Guidelines and a summary of the basic characteristics identified for each, together with explanations for the proposed characteristics.

At a press conference on adoption, Mrs Helena Obeng Asamoah, Deputy Director of Ghana's Department of Social Welfare, "stressed that poverty should not be an excuse to separate children from their families to live in orphanages, but should be seen as a signal for the need to provide appropriate support to the family," according to this article from Ghana Business News.

This important assessment of foster care services in the Republic of Moldova explores the differences between the two main types of foster care services provided in that country, including in terms requirements and profiles of caregivers and of the children, the legal and policy framework underpinning them, including the legal status of the foster parent, as well as the allowances and benefits for each type of care

This country care review includes the Concluding Observations for the Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted as part of its examination of Namibia’s combined second and third periodic reports at the 61th Session of the Committee held between 17 September and 5 October 2012, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

This article discusses the use of standard household surveys as measurement of progress toward development goals, which by design omit the most marginalized groups from data collection.

This RELAF booklet, Application of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, is a child-friendly guide to the Guidelines of for the Alternative Care of Children meant for children and adolescents to inform them of their right to live with their families and make that right a reality.

This booklet from SOS Children’s Villages International was created for young people to explain in a simple manner the main points of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009. The booklet helps its young audience think about the principles of alternative care and what these mean for children and families in different situations.