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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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.

"With their effort and one opportunity": Alleviating Extreme Poverty in Chile

Emanuela Galasso, 2006

Evaluates the effect of an anti-poverty program, Chile Solidario, during its first two years of operation. Estimate the impact of the program on a large array of socio-economic outcomes including education, health, housing, and employment. Finds also suggest the key role that psycho-social support had in enabling this change, by increasing awareness of social services in the community as well as households’ orientation towards the future.

Poverty, Vulnerability, and HIV/AIDS Mainstreaming in Lesotho: Livelihoods Recovery Through Agriculture Program and Secure the Child

Joanne Abbot, Mosele Lenka, PJ Lerotholi, Makojang Mahao, and Sechaba Mokhamaleli, 2005

A description of a multi-level intervention in rural Lestho aimed to improve the livelihood security of vulnerable households by improving home gardening, increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS, and influencing policy. By focusing on rural livelihoods and economic empowerment the program had some success in raising awareness and strengthening resilience to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Orphans and Discrimination in Mozambique: An Outlay Equivalence Analysis

Virgulino Nhate, Channing Arndt, Mikkel Barslund and Katleen Van den Broeck, 2005

This paper examines childcare policy in Mozambique. It finds that vulnerability increases when orphans are placed in resource-poor kinship care arrangements.

Family Matters: A Study of Institutional Child Care in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (Shorter Version)

Richard Carter - Every Child, 2005

This report reviews the faltering progress made in childcare reform across Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union over the 15 years since the ‘orphanages’ of Romania were revealed to the world.

Social Cash Transfers: Reaching the Poorest

Bernd Schubert, 2005

This paper explores the role and process of social cash transfers to reduce poverty and provide social protection. It examines a pilot cash transfer program in Zambia.