Retrak is a faith-based non-governmental organisation working with orphans and vulnerable children in Ethiopia and other countries. Retrak uses the contents of key international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) to help inform their work with children. Utilising the International Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children as a guiding framework as well as the growing body of evidence showing negative effects of institutional care on children’s development and well being, Retrak has been proactive in facilitating the return of street children to family-based care.
In Ethiopia, Retrak has been developing relationships with key actors involved in the government childcare institutions and is interested in supporting reintegration of former street children currently residing in such facilities. Retrak is aware that this is a specific group of children with particular needs. Therefore, it is important to conduct research on how to proceed when working with this particular population of children and how current efforts, procedures and protocols can be adapted to address the specific needs of this population of children.
The study was carried out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Specifically, the study included locations and informants from three sub-cities where three public childcare centres are situated. The areas are selected purposefully as the focus of the study is primarily focused on these three childcare centres. The sub-cities are Kolfe–Keranio, Gullele and Lideta and the respective centres are the Kolfe Boys’ Home, the Kechene Children’s Home, and the Addis Ababa Youth Detention and Rehabilitation Centre. NGOs and local government officials working within child welfare and with street children were also included and all of them have offices within Addis Ababa. The purpose of this research is to utilise information collated from literature review as well as informant interviews and focus group discussions to identify good practices or help inform the development of such practices aimed at assisting street children currently residing in institutional care to return to a family-based environment. More specifically, it is an opportunity to provide information and recommendations for how Retrak might need to adapt their existing Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) for reintegration of street children to best meet the needs of street children living in institutional care.
