Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

Around the world, poverty and social exclusion are driving factors behind the placement of children into alternative care. Families give up their children because they are too poor to care for them, or they feel that it is the best way to help them to access basic services such as education and health care. Discrimination and cultural taboos mean that girls, children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, children with HIV/AIDS and children born out of wedlock, make up a disproportionate number of children abandoned into alternative care.

Poor-quality alternative care leads to a vicious cycle of poverty and inequality. With limited family-based alternative care options in many countries, children often end up in institutional care. Already marginalized by poverty or stigmatization, they risk becoming further excluded from society, as they grow up separated from their families and communities. In the worst cases, inadequate or unsafe care standards expose them to neglect, violence and abuse. When they eventually leave institutional care, young adults may then struggle to reintegrate into their communities and face high rates of homelessness, unemployment, chronic poverty, depression and even suicide.

Greater political and financial commitment is needed to tackle the poverty and social exclusion that drives families to give up their children. This includes wide-ranging measures to combat poverty, discrimination and stigmatization, to change attitudes towards single parenthood and disability, and to adopt social policies promoting family empowerment and parenting skills. Greater priority must also be given to developing good-quality family-based care options, such as foster care and adoption, for the girls and boys who need alternative families.

The documents in this section examine the relationship between poverty, social exclusion and placement of children in alternative care.

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Reforming Child Institutional Care in the Post-Soviet Bloc: The Potential Role of Family-Based Empowerment Strategies

Leyla Ismayiloya, Fred Ssewamala, Aytakin Huseynli - Children and Youth Services Review, 18 Dec 2014

Through a desk review of peer reviewed journal and “grey” literature published in English and Russian languages, this paper provides a review of current deinstitutionalization efforts in the region, identifies potential challenges, describes the need for economic empowerment interventions, and outlines directions for future research.

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Twinning in the Best Interests of Children: Promoting Family Life, Not Orphanages

Catholic Relief Services, 16 Dec 2014

This document, published by Catholic Relief Services, urges members of the Catholic faith community to consider the best interests of the child when partnering, or “twinning” with parishes in Haiti and undertaking charitable activities.

Preventive Measures for Reducing the Placement of Children in Institutional Care - Croatia

Republic of Croatia Ministry of Social Policy and Youth, 10 Nov 2014

On 10 September 2014, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria co-hosted a high level Lunchtime Discussion on The right of children below three years to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The discussion took place on the margins of the September meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board and brought together over 80 participants, including members of the UNICEF Executive Board, representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN from the CEE/CIS region, international organizations, NGOs, high level UNICEF and National Committee staff. Representatives from Croatia presented on preventing institutionalization of children.

Building Happy Families: Impact Evaluation of a Parenting and Family Skills Intervention for Migrant and Displaced Burmese Families in Thailand

Amanda Sim, Jeannie Annan, Eve Puffer, Carmel Salhi and Theresa Betancourt - International Rescue Committee, 01 Nov 2014

This report presents findings from the impact evaluation of a parenting and family skills intervention for the displaced Burmese population in Thailand called the Happy Families Program which was implemented by the IRC from 2011 to 2013.

Building Happy Families IRC Research Brief

Amanda Sim, Research Evaluation & Learning Unit, International Rescue Committee (IRC) , 01 Nov 2014

This research brief provides an overview of an impact evaluation of the “Happy Families Program,” conducted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The Happy Families Program is a parenting and family skills intervention designed for Burmese families living on the Thai-Burmese border.

Eliminating Discrimination Against Children and Parents Based on Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity

UNICEF , 01 Nov 2014

This position paper from UNICEF clearly states that all children have a right to a safe and healthy childhood, free from discrimination. This discrimination includes discrimination against children based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of children or their parents.

A shared vision for systemic child protection: Advocating, developing, evidencing, and partnering to build a child protection system: Lessons learned from Albania, Terre des hommes Mission in Albania Institutional Learning Process

Dr. Rachel A Harris & Dr. Ian Milligan , 01 Oct 2014

This document reports on an Institutional Learning Process that has critically analysed the impact and effectiveness of Terre des hommes’ (Tdh) engagement in Albania over the last 14 years. It looks at the role Tdh has played in the emergence of a State Child Protection System (CPS) in Albania.

Peeling Back the Layers - Kinship Care in Victoria

Rachel Breman - Baptcare Research Unit in partnership with OzChild and Anchor, 01 Oct 2014

Baptcare, OzChild and Anchor - three organizations that provide kinship care services in Victoria, Australia - commissioned this research to explore the impact that complexity in care arrangements has on children and families in kinship care.

Researching the linkages between social protection and children’s care in Ghana: LEAP and its effects on child well-being, care and family cohesion

Family for Every Child and the Centre for Social Protection , 01 Oct 2014

This report was written by Keetie Roelen and Helen Karki Chettri from the Centre for Social Protection (CSP) at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), with inputs and support from Family for Every Child and Challenging Heights, Ghana. The report investigates the links between child wellbeing, children’s care, family cohesion and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP), a national social protection scheme in Ghana which aims to reduce extreme poverty in the country and is centred on providing cash transfers to the most vulnerable.

The Longer Term Experiences of Parent Training: A Qualitative Analysis

M. Furlong and S. McGilloway - Child Care, Health and Development, 24 Sep 2014

This study involved the use of qualitative methods as part of a larger process evaluation to explore the longer-term experiences of parents who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Incredible Years Parenting Programme (IYPP) in disadvantaged settings in Ireland.

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