What Works in Residential Care: Making it Work 68-75 Lesley Archer Good Practices and Models of Alternative Care A Loving Family for Every Child: A Paradigm Shift from Institutional 76-89 Care to Family-Based Care (original) (raw)
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K4D; IDS, 2017
The most common adverse effects that children who grow up in residential care experience include: developmental delays; behavioural problems; attachment disorders; lack of life skills; institutionalisation; and difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships. The literature is extremely clear that residential care should be a last resort for children separated from their parents, following family support, community support, and fostering. As such, the literature strongly supports deinstitutionalisation and reintegration of families whenever possible and provision of extra support to families as the best intervention. Evidence shows that many children can recover from problems experienced in residential care when placed in family care environments, although they have incomplete catch-up compared to their never-institutionalised peers. This paper does not review deinstitutionalisation, but instead provides a few examples of interventions which have improved the quality of care in residential homes, as an immediate response or precursor to deinstitutionalisation.
Children in Institutional Care: An analysis of socio-demographic patterns
Children in especially difficult circumstances need protection, care and rehabilitative services for their growth and development. “The U N estimates that up to 8 million children around the world are living in care institutions, the real number is likely to be much higher, because of chronic gaps in information” (Save the Children, 2009). Unfortunately statistics in India are not available on the magnitude of the problem in different areas, however the enormity of problems faced cannot be doubted in a country where more than one-fourth of the population lives below the poverty line, natural calamities take their toll, unemployment exist on a large scale, the incidence of illiteracy, malnutrition, unsatisfactory housing is large. In such circumstances, children are the worst affected. Children are deprived of opportunities for growth and development. A small number of children are currently covered under welfare services and are fortunate enough to get admitted in institutions.
The L.I.F.E. Model (Living In Family Environment), is a model that attempts to create familial relationships, consistent living circumstances, and social/educational support systems necessary to move towards independent adulthood for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). In addition, the model addresses multiple losses, grief, and related issues by employing attachment and trauma-based understandings to child rearing, while using positive psychology tools to encourage resilience and developmental growth. In the last 19 years, Udayan Care (located in New Delhi, India) through the Udayan Ghars Programme and Aftercare Services, has employed an evolved L.I.F.E. model for the children it cares for (Modi, Nayar-Akhtar, Gupta, & Karmakar, 2014). The model includes a family-like regulated support system, with long-term mentors who are set in place to help the children transition from institutional care to independent living. Typically, this takes place with the children moving out of the Sunshine Children’s Homes into semi-regulated Aftercare services and then from Aftercare into the larger world. Given the normative transitions for all young persons, finding ways to effectively support institutionalized children as they transition to independent living is critical. In addition to the normative challenges, undoubtedly, institutionalized children come with a history of trauma and abandonment and often have long-term psychological difficulties that are unique to their population. Many such children end up in childcare institutions as there may be no extended family available, and the options for alternative care settings are severely limited. To understand the developmental trajectories of these children, Udayan Care has been participating in longitudinal research to describe the current and on-going changes in children’s trauma, attachment, self-concept, and ego-resiliency. This work has provided baseline information on the level and effectiveness of the programs implemented at Udayan Care, and recommends future directions for addressing the children’s needs. This paper explores the needs of institutionalized children as addressed by the Udayan Care Model. Such children have histories of severe neglect and need intensive efforts directed towards addressing attachment issues, affect dysregulation, behavioural difficulties, social skills, education and life skills trainings
Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond
Ruhi and her two siblings, Ruchi and Deepak, (all in the age group 7-13), impoverished, abused and abandoned by their own father, a drug addict, when their ailing mother passed away, already school drop outs, disillusioned, dejected, depressed, and hugely angry, that's how they came to Udayan Care in 2000. It took a long time and a lot of effort in making all three children change their view of life, learn to cope with their traumatic pasts, relearn trust and attachment, and build their present and future. Today, Ruhi, armed with a degree in Travel and Tourism, holds a prestigious job, is married, and a young mother. Ruchi, an executive in a 5 star Hotel, is getting married in November 2013, and Deepak, is presently a second year law student. Fact Sheet An estimated 31 million children in India, aged 0-17 years, are orphaned and abandoned according to the most recent statistics from UNICEF. 1 Research proves that orphans who do not receive proper care turn to crime and are vulnerable to child labor, prostitution and other violations. Domestic adoption rates are abysmally low at 5964 children 2. A report by a leading newspaper daily (Hindustan Times) in 2011 suggested there are close to 30.35 lakh orphans in the north zone of the country consisting Delhi and other surrounding states. 3 The same report suggested SOS children's village analyzed National
Institutional Child and Youth Care in Delhi
This chapter reviews the use of institutional care for children and young people in the mega-city of Delhi. The situation in Delhi is located within a national overview of India and then the focus moves on to the provision of institutional care services for children and young people by government and non-governmental organisations. While efforts are made to introduce de-institutionalisation and expand family-based care and support for children, demand for services far exceeds capacity to respond. Given the large number of homeless and destitute children, constraints on non-institutional child care and challenges associated with institutional child care, the future is seen to lie in promoting innovative child care practices that blend the rationale of family-based child care with the positive elements of institutional child care.
One in every two hundred children undergo alternative care in a children's home in Sri Lanka, denied of basic human rights by being deprived of parental care and by being labelled orphaned, abandoned or destitute. These figures are problematic in a multi-religious and diversely cultured state where moral rhetoric abounds, but concerns need to be translated into practice. The need for institutional children's care must be investigated, as does the ability of these organizations to provide a quality upbringing and life preparation for children. In this paper I address these contemporary issues through a critical review of the policy environment and the governance practices of these institutions with reference to specific case studies.
2011
Institutionalization of children has apparently been among the preferred care options in the past for children who lack parental care. In Sri Lanka, in the context of an unsettled security situation particularly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces followed by the Tsunami disaster of December 2004, the number of institutions providing shelter and care for children saw an unprecedented increase. In consequence new laws and systems were put in place to monitor the institutionalization process, standardize facilities and care as there were many reports of violations of child rights by certain institutions. Following upon this standardization process, a system of compulsory registration of all children's institutions including all children's homes falling within the purview of the Probation Officers was introduced with the managements of the institutions held accountable for all their activities. A few years of the implementation of these new standards, a necessity arose to assess the programme in the context of the latest trends and situations on institutionalization of children in the Eastern Province particularly to determine the need for fresh interventions for future developments.. This paved the way for a research project focusing on the push and pull factors of institutionalization of children in the Eastern Province.
Journal of Social Sciences, 2014
This paper aims, through a literature review methodology, to discuss, raise debates and discourses on the panacea or benefits associated with institutionalized care; as well as the deficiencies or the perfidy embedded in them. Findings indicate that institutionalized care: ensures provision of OVC education; saves OVC from debilitating livelihoods; offers a second best alternative home to then. OVC institutions are also found to have the following deficiencies: Lack of individualized attention for normal child growth; are usually beset by an array of different abuses; are usually beset by power, politics and poverty in the working environment; workforce usually suffers from burnout, and inadequate coping strategies and control. The researchers have suggested the following as the way forward: advocating for 'family first' initiative; provision of requisite resources in community based domiciles; and supporting caregivers' well-being in tandem with the OVC.