From: Kathleen Riordan <kriordan@unicef.org>
To: bettercarenetwork@listserve.com
Sent: Tue, December 22, 2009 11:06:23 AM
Subject: [The Better Care Network] New Reports on Children without Parental Care from Save the Children UK andEveryChild; Report to US Congress; Stocktaking Report on Children and AIDS; jobpostings, conferences and much more...
To the Better Care Network:
Please note that the link to our homepage is currently being repaired. In
the meanwhile, our entire site remains available and can be accessed at
http://www.crin.org/bcn. We apologize for the inconvenience.Visit our homepage for two new reports from
BCN Steering Committee and
Advisory Group members, Save the Children UK and EveryChild.
http://www.crin.org/bcn - Research shows the number of children growing up without parental care is
growing most rapidly in less developed countries. Without adult protection
children are more likely to die at an early age, are at greater risk of
malnutrition, violence and exploitation and more likely to miss out on
school. Despite this, preventing the loss of parental care is frequently
absent from international development and aid policies. A new report from
EveryChild, Missing: Children without Parental Care in International
Development Policy, urges governments, charities and donors to cease
funding the unregulated expansion of children’s homes in poor countries and
warns that failure to keep children in families, out of residential
institutions and off the streets, will be another barrier to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
- Keeping Children Out of Harmful Institutions explores why governments and
donors continue to prioritize institutional care, despite the breadth of
evidence on the harm it can cause to children. The report argues for a
range of interventions to support children within their own families and
communities, and for family and community-based alternatives for those
children needing care outside of their own families. This report challenges
governments, UN agencies, donors, non-governmental organizations,
faith-based organizations and others associated with the use of
institutional care to review their own strategies and take urgent steps to
care for and protect some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Both of these reports are available in our library and will be featured on
our homepage in the coming weeks. Visit
http://www.crin.org/bcn. Other Documents and News
- Peter Bell, former Co-Chair of JLICA, responds to the New York Times
article “Study Suggests Orphanages are Not So Bad” in a letter to the
newspaper’s editor. Bell’s response underscores the crucial role families
play in ensuring strong developmental outcomes for children and highlights
how family strengthening measures, such as cash transfers, can be used to
limit separation and institutionalization. To read Bell’s letter to the
editor, visit our news section via the link below.
http://crin.org/bcn/details_news.asp?ID=21478&themeID=1003&topicID=1023 - The Fourth Stocktaking Report on Children and AIDS calls attention to
children and young people living in a world with HIV and AIDS. It comes
four years after the launch of Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS, an
initiative dedicated to putting children at the heart of the global AIDS
response. The Stocktaking Report, a joint effort of UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO and
UNFPA, reflects on the progress thus far in meeting obligations to
children, and offers authoritative data, evidence and recommendations on
how to accelerate action at all levels with particular guidance on ensuring
international support for social protection approaches are both
child-sensitive and AIDS sensitive.
To read the entire report, visit:
http://crin.org/bcn/details.asp?id=21472&themeID=1004&topicID=1025 - 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 is now available online.
Public Law 109-95, the Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children
in Developing Countries Act of 2005 was signed into law to respond to the
global orphans and vulnerable children crisis. The report provides global
estimates of the number of highly vulnerable children; a summary of United
States Government (USG) assistance programs for highly vulnerable children;
a summary of progress coordinating the response among USG agencies; key
strategic issues and opportunities; priorities for 2009–2010 and beyond;
and a summary of the results and achievements of USG assistance.
The entire report is available now at:
http://crin.org/bcn/details.asp?id=21473&themeID=1001&topicID=1006. - ReliefWeb reports that according to Save the Children’s new report
millions of children are unnecessarily at risk of the dangers of living in
institutions, including rape, exploitation, trafficking, beatings, torture,
and psychological harm. To read the entire article, visit
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/SKEA-7Y3EPF?OpenDocument Jobs and Conferences
- Save the Children International has decided to launch a global Child
Protection Initiative (CPI) which seeks to promote a greater strategic
approach to child protection globally. The project will lead and encourage
enhanced collaboration and develop a common human resource pool for child
protection and common approaches for understanding child protection
throughout the international community. Qualified candidates are
encouraged to apply to the following posts before 17 January 2010:
Programme Manager, Child Protection Initiative, Save the Children:
http://www3.rb.se/jobb/cgi-shl/User_Applicants.exe?action=VIEW_SPECIFIC_JOB&jobId=277&publishLanguage=0 Fundraising Manager, Child Protection Initiative, Save the Children:
http://www3.rb.se/jobb/cgi-shl/User_Applicants.exe?action=VIEW_SPECIFIC_JOB&obId=278&publishLanguage=0 - Upcoming Deadline! For Our Children is urgently looking for a European
Trainer in the area of producing and implementing standards for the
protection of children in safe family environment. To review the terms of
reference, visit
http://www.detebg.org/?cat=48&news=588. - Call for Abstracts! The National Research Conference on Child and Family
Programs and Policy will focus exclusively on policy issues pertaining to
child and family well-being. The conference, to take place 21-23 July 2010,
will draw in researchers from many disciplines including family studies,
psychology, sociology, social work, public policy, political science,
economics, criminal justice, child development; practitioners from social
and human services; and policy/decision-makers who are concerned about
programming and policy to support child and family well-being. For more
information on attending or submitting an abstract, visit:
http://www.nrccfpp.org/ General Information
- As of December 22, 2009, the listserve has 1912 participants who are
working on issues related to the care and support of vulnerable children
across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.
- The purpose of the listserve is to enable members to exchange information
on matters of mutual concern. If you would like to share a document, raise
a specific issue, or reach out in any other way to the Network, please send
the information to us at
kriordan@unicef.org. In the interest of keeping
messages consolidated, we will manage announcements on the listserve and
send out a few messages each month.
- We would like to involve as many people as possible who are concerned
with better care issues in the Network. Please advise anyone who would
like to be added to the listserve to send us a message at
kriordan@unicef.org with "listserve request" in the subject line.
Alternatively, visit the homepage of the Better Care Network web site, and
click on the upper right box where it says "click here to sign up for our
email announcements".
http://www.bettercarenetwork.org Best,
Ghazal Keshavarzian and Kathleen Riordan
Better Care Network Secretariat
__________________________
Kathleen Riordan
Assistant Coordinator
Better Care Network
UNICEF - Child Protection Section
3 UN Plaza - Room 735-1
New York, New York 10017
212.326.7104
kriordan@unicef.org______________________________
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