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The illegal removal of children from biological family life during conflict has a longstanding history. This research paper provides a brief overview of the Vietnam Babylift and of a more recent child abduction attempt in Chad. Then, turning to the history of child abduction and adoption history in Latin America, the paper presents the conflicts of El Salvador and Argentina and discusses ‘living disappeared’ children – those who disappear into adoption networks during war. The research explores the post-conflict social realities in both nations. The role of the social worker and specific…
The Canadian Red Cross has produced a handbook on the prevention of violence against children. The handbook is intended as a guide for “anyone interested in creating safe environments free of violence for children.” It presents an overview of the history and sources of violence against children and discusses different types of violence (emotional, physical, and sexual) with a specific focus on violence in the home. The handbook offers healthy options for discipline and guidance on how to handle children’s disclosure of violence. The handbook also includes specific guidance on preventing…
This paper is based on "The Latin American Report. The situation of children in Latin America without parental care or at risk of losing it. Contexts, causes and responses," which was prepared using reports from 13 countries in the region. These reports were compiled by SOS Children's Villages, in the countries where the organisation has offices, in order to establish the circumstances of children without parental care or in vulnerable situations. It should be noted that there was limited…
Using lessons learnt in emergencies, from the genocide in Rwanda to the Asian Tsunami and the earthquake in Haiti, our new report, Misguided Kindness, demonstrates what action is needed to keep families together during crises and to bring separated children back into a safe and nurturing family life. Save the Children warns that people who support orphanages or international adoption in the belief that they’re doing the best for children suffering after a major emergency could in fact be putting those children in even more danger.
Public Law 109-95, the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 (herein after referred to as PL 109-95), was signed into law four years ago to respond to the global orphans and vulnerable children crisis. It calls for the U.S. Government (USG) response to the crisis to be comprehensive, coordinated and effective.
U.S. Government and Partners: Working Together on a Comprehensive, Coordinated and Effective Response to Highly Vulnerable Children: Third Annual Report to Congress on Public Law 109-95 provides global…
EveryChild is an international development charity working in 17 countries with a strategic focus on children without parental care. This document outlines EveryChild’s approach to the growing problem of children without parental care by defining key concepts, analysing the nature and extent of the problem, exploring factors which place children at risk of losing parental care, and examining the impact of a loss of parental care on children’s rights. It also provides principles for good practice in trying to reduce the number of children without parental…
Seeking Asylum Alone is a two-year comparative study documenting the circumstances and treatment of unaccompanied and separated children who cross borders in search of protection. The study was conducted in three countries—the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia—where the distinctive problems facing child asylum seekers are significant and unresolved. This report concerns the United States. Reports describing the findings in the other countries, and an overall analysis comparing policies and practices in all three countries, will be published later this year (2006).
This report…
All children should be cared for in a family environment by their parents, relatives or other loving adults. But there are growing numbers of children who do not enjoy this most basic right and suffer from neglect and extreme vulnerability.
Children’s lives become precarious when they lose a parent because of illness, accident or conflict. The emotional, educational, spiritual and physical needs of children who live without parental care are often neglected and they may resort to dangerous activities to survive.
This handbook describes some innovative examples of how many faith-based…
This study was commissioned by the Save the Children Alliance initiative “Care and Protection of Separated Children in Emergencies” (CPSC) to investigate the phenomenon of El Salvador’s disappeared children. The fieldwork for the study was undertaken by the author heading a small research team consisting of two research assistants, one of them a former “disappeared” child. Considerable emphasis was placed on the active participation of children (now mostly young adults), their families of origin and foster or adoptive families. A small group of young people (who had also experienced forced…
This survey highlights efforts to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate former child soldiers in Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Kosovo, analyzing them in terms of policy and legal issues, political context and program implementation. The special needs facing the former child soldiers are discussed along with political situation and child protection in each country. Conclusion, lessons learned, challenges and recommendations are presented at the end of the survey.
This survey stresses that disarmament; demobilization and reintegration programs need to…