Supporting deinstitutionalisation: focus on autism

24.01.13

Autism should never be the cause of children being separated from their families. Yet, depressingly, in many Eastern European countries, children diagnosed with autism are separated from their families and placed in institutions because there are no services to support them in their communities. Many children with undiagnosed autism are also placed in institutions because they display challenging behavior. Increasing awareness and developing support for children with autism is therefore critical to ensuring they are not removed from their families and communities. It is also vital to develop community services so children with autism who have been placed in institutions can return home.

As part of our work in Bulgaria, Lumos is supporting professionals working on the State Agency for Child Protection’s ‘Childhood for All’ project, which is overseeing the closure of all institutions for children with disabilities in Bulgaria and securing appropriate placements for the children. The needs of children with autism within this process are specific and is it vital that professionals understand how best to support them. As part of our work on this issue, we recently organized for Dr Iain McClure, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, to deliver a seminar to professionals involved in preparing children from institutions to move back into the community. Dr McClure’s seminar focused on the particular needs of children with autism in the context of the closure of institutions for children with disabilities.

A Lumos spokesperson in Bulgaria said: “The process of moving the children is extremely complicated. These children have spent their entire life in one room in the institution; what lies ahead of them is going to be a tremendous challenge. The preparation of a child with a disorder from the autistic spectrum is specific and will differ from the preparation of a child with sensory impairment or cerebral paralyses. Our responsibility is to be ready to handle this process in the most gentle to the child way”.

Bulgaria

New fit-for-purpose homes for children with disabilities

Bulgaria

Institutionalised children with disabilities in Bulgaria are being moved to modern, specially adapted accommodation and tailored support services made available.

Modern, family-style homes, specifically adapted for children with disabilities.

Comment: Date not sure...

The “Childhood for All” project aims to close 28 institutions for children with severe and complex disabilities and create 194 replacement services. This is a large-scale and complex undertaking and from the outset, the project team have been supported by Lumos. Initially, we supplied additional resources and methodology to make the first detailed assessment of each child’s needs. We then interviewed the childrens’ parents to assess the level to which they were willing and able to reestablish and maintain contact with their child. We are now in the process of assisting with the second assessment of each child to determine whether they should be placed with their family, relatives, in foster care or in one of the new community-based services being established around the country. Eventually Lumos will be involved in preparing each for their new placement.

As this process continues, we are advising the Bulgarian government on the additional steps necessary for deinstitutionalisation to be successful. Creating new services is just a first step. The eventual aim must be to develop these new community-based centres into loving and secure environments where children with disabilities can reach their full potential and participate in the life of the community.

We have now also begun work on “Direction: Family”, the National Action Plan’s second project, which aims to transform eight out of 32 “baby institutions” for children aged 0 to 3 years.

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Nigerian Child Forcefully Adopted in Norway

Clement Ejiofor, 5 hours ago

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34 Suspects Arrested In Human Trafficking Case, 11 Infants Rescued

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China Daily reports that in the Yunnan province of China, 11 infants abducted by a human trafficking group were rescued during a bust. 34 suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

According to police, the abducted infants were made up of four girls and seven boys, some of whom were purchased in Yunnan then sold to other provinces.

Our day began with a morning visit to Orphanage "Nezabravka"in Stara Zagora. We met with the orphanage director and she shared some of the things that her children do and are involved in. This is an orphanage that is more involved in the community and offer many more things to their children. This is also a facility for children ages 4 to 7. This orphanage is working with some biological parents to provide education and training to properly raise their children and regain custody. We asked how many children had special needs and the director identified one child with Autism, who found out later was lucky to still be there at this facility at the age of 10. The director said that they used to have a child with hydrocephalus but they sent it away with a shooing type motion with her hand. As we observed there some other children with hearing impairments and vision impairments. While the children did not display special needs in the way of genetic disorders or developmental disabilities, these children do have special needs. They have experienced loss, separation, the must share attention with many other children, they do not have a father or mother, they have experienced abuse, and much more. The needs are deeper and not defined. In addition, the director stated that these children would, however, only be adopted internationally. When asked why, she said that many of these children were children of Gypsies and they had darker skin and were not accepted by society. This just made me cringe especially as these children are healthy and children who are only being prevented a family because of the color of their skin. I would have loved to have tucked these children into my bags and taken them home and shown them the love they deserve.

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Norway Forcefully Adopts Nigerian Woman's Baby

02 Nov 2014

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Hon. Abike Dabiri, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora,

Welcome Trish Maskew, New Chief of the Adoption Division

September 24, 2014

The Office of Children’s Issues is pleased to announce the appointment of Trish Maskew as the new Chief of the Adoption Division.

Trish joins the Department of State from the Department of Justice where she worked in the Civil Division for almost six years. Before joining the U.S. government, she held several positions in the intercountry adoption field: as a program coordinator for an adoption agency; a board member and interim administrator for the Joint Council on International Children’s Services; the founder and President of Ethica, a non-profit organization dedicated to ethical and transparent adoptions; and as an expert consultant to the Hague Conference on Private International Law. She is the author of “Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child” and numerous articles on adoption ethics and practice. She earned her J.D. from American University.

Volunteers are the beating heart of Shirat HaNefesh.The vitality of our synagogue community is evident in the number of active members doing essential work on our committees.

We encourage every member to take an active role in shaping our community. Contact any of the members listed below to get involved!

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall policy and direction of SHN after obtaining advice and input from the membership. The Board also oversees day-to-day affairs. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Board seeks to show respect for individual points of view, including minority opinions, and to be responsive to members’ interests and needs.

Lou Novick (Chair) lou@novickgroup.com

30.01.14

A historic breakthrough for people in institutional care: EU Funds must be used to develop community-based alternatives in 2014 – 2020

Statement from the European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based care: The European Union (EU) is preparing to implement the next 7 years of the Structural and Investment Funding. The framework put in place for this new programming period represents a historic opportunity to protect the rights of Europe’s most excluded people - those living in institutional care. For the first time, the new Regulations for the EU Cohesion Policy investment, adopted last December by the European Council and the European Parliament include specific references to support the “transition from institutional to community-based care”. This represents a commitment that EU Funds will not be used to perpetuate institutionalisation, but to develop the much needed community-based alternatives. This commitment is crucial in the current times of austerity, as Member States can use EU Funds to cover the cost of transition to community-based services. Moreover, with the adoption of the European Code of Conduct on Partnership in the framework of the European Structural and Investment Funds on 7 January, the European Commission issued a strong signal to Member States that any future investments of EU Funds should be planned and implemented in close cooperation with civil society and other stakeholders.

The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Care (EEG) is a broad coalition which brings together stakeholders representing people with care or support needs, as well as service providers, public authorities and intergovernmental organisations. Since 2009, the EEG has advocated for changes in the legislation which would ensure that EU Funds support the reform of the care systems in the Member States, and for a more meaningful involvement of the civil society organisations. The EEG therefore welcomes this historic breakthrough in the EU’s legislative landscape, which should improve the situation of children and adults in institutional care or at risk of institutionalisation and facilitate real effective innovation in the social services sector.

Lasting changes for people with care and support needs.