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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Cash Transfers: Real Benefit for Children Affected by AIDS

Interagency Task Team (IATT) on Children and HIV and AIDS: Working Group on Social Protection, 2007

A 4-page advocacy document outlining the potential benefit of cash transfers in the context of children and AIDS.

How-to Guide: Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities

Catholic Relief Services, 2007

A ‘How-to’ Guide, based on the experiences of CRS/Vietnam, that provides practical strategies and steps developing countries can take to build inclusive education programmes for children with disabilities.

Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition

UNICEF, 2006

Evaluates global improvements in nutrition as progress towards achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). Suggests that the MDGs are attainable only with re-prioritization of efforts to reduce child undernutrition.

Using Social Transfers to Scale Up Equitable Access to Education and Health Services

Katie Chapman, 2006

This paper focuses on the impact of one form of demand-side policy option - social transfers, particularly cash transfers and vouchers - on access to health and education services by the extreme poor.

Child Poverty and Cash Transfers

Armando Barrientos and Jocelyn DeJong, 2006

This paper examines the effectiveness of targeted cash transfers programs on reducing childhood poverty. It also explored the comparatives effectiveness of different kinds of cash transfers.

Guidelines for Combatting Child Labor Among Indigenous and Tribal Peoples

International Labor Organization IPEC and PRO 169, 2006

Guidelines to address the specific needs and rights of indigenous children in the context of child labour. Includes a comprehensive list of follow-up resources.

Barriers and Incentives to Orphan Care in a Time of AIDS and Economic Crisis: A Cross-sectional Survey of Caregivers in Rural Zimbabwe

Brian Howard, Carl Phillips, Nelia Matinhure, Karen J Goodman, Sheryl McCurdy, and Cary Johnson, 2006

A survey of caregivers designed to assess barriers and incentives to fostering in rural Zimbabwe. Suggests that incentives for sustainable orphan care should focus on financial assistance.

A Model for Community-Based Care for Children: Nkundabana

CARE , 2006

A lessons learned document reviewing impacts of a community-based care and mentoring program for child-headed households in Rwanda.

A Matter of Belonging

Christopher Bold, Mary Henderson, and Rachel Baggaley, 2006

A guide for faith-based organizations working in developing countries on issues related to orphans and vulnerable children. Contains examples of successful community-based and family support care programs throughout the world that are run by faith-based groups. Discourages the use of institutional care and orphanages.

A Situational Analysis of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Four Districts of South Africa

Alicia Davis and Donald Skinner (eds.), 2006

Identifies strengths and weaknesses of services offered to OVC in South Africa. A detailed list of recommendations suggests improvements to services.