Mobilising a movement towards family-based care in Tanzania

Project Approach and Activities

A core focus of the project will be building capacity within long-term residential care centres. With coaching and support, the project will enable the reintegration of children into safe, nurturing family environments. Key decision-makers, including government officials, will be trained on regulations, promoting family-based solutions and alignment with national standards.

For young people transitioning out of care, RCA will work with residential care centres to deliver tailored aftercare support, equipping young people with the tools and confidence to thrive beyond care.

The project will also support the Care Leavers Association of Tanzania, recognising the need to support young people leaving care and the vital role of those with lived experience of care in shaping the future of care reform. By amplifying their voices and experiences, the Association will help drive meaningful, inclusive change while building the foundation for its independent registration in the future.

Recent Care Leavers research findings will be shared with the broader public to further advocate for care reform. Through events and targeted dissemination efforts, the project aims to foster a greater understanding of the challenges care leavers face and encourage support for a shift toward family-based care.

Conclusion

MJF is grateful to support and invest in this important project, and we are honoured to join RCA in the work they have been dedicated to for years with street-connected children and families in Tanzania. By combining our efforts, we aim to build on their strong foundation, strengthen existing practices, amplify impact, and drive meaningful change towards family-based care.

Quotes

“At Railway Children Africa, we envision a world where no child ever has to live on the streets. Our enduring collaboration with the Government of Tanzania has been dedicated to keeping children off the streets and reuniting them with their families, in alignment with Tanzania’s national care reform agenda. We are thrilled and honoured to partner with the Martin James Foundation to continue making a profound and lasting impact on the lives of these vulnerable children and families. Together, we are building a brighter future, one child at a time.”

“We are delighted to partner with Railway Children Africa, an organisation that has been steadfastly supporting vulnerable children and families in Tanzania for nearly 15 years. This partnership marks an exciting opportunity for the Martin James Foundation to engage with a new country and learn from a new partner whose unique and locally-rooted approach resonates deeply with our mission. We are particularly inspired by their focus on empowering young people and care leavers to shape the future of care reform. By working together, we hope to amplify their incredible work and contribute to meaningful, sustainable change for children and families in Tanzania.”

Reflections on a partnership that is transforming care for children in Indonesia

Martin James Foundation has been privileged to partner with Harapan Ummat (Harum), an Indonesian non-governmental organisation based in East Java. This remarkable team has been dedicated to supporting families in need since its establishment in 2005. By providing parenting skills and access to education, Harum aims to support and strengthen communities. In 2020, in partnership with MJF, Harum began piloting foster care in the region at the government’s request, thus formalising much-needed support for foster families. While our project concluded over a year ago, Harum’s reach and impact in the region and beyond has just begun.

In this blog, M Noor Choirullah, Harum’s Founder and Director, reflects on the progress achieved during their partnership with MJF.

Government Partnership and Reform

Since Harum’s inception, we have successfully partnered with the Government of Indonesia in our shared aim to shift Indonesia’s dependence upon institutional care and instead invest in family-based care models such as gatekeeping, kinship care, and foster care. Specifically, we have observed that community child activists and care reform advocates were instrumental in overcoming challenges that arose during implementation. As we, and others, began demonstrating the importance and the feasibility of foster care, we saw increased movement within government policies and procedures. As a result of our advocacy, we recently saw foster care included in the official government strategy document, meaning that children who require alternative care will now have foster care as an option over being placed automatically into an orphanage or residential facility.

Reflecting on this momentous shift, we noted the importance of coordination and cooperation between care reform advocates to see consistent movement towards family-based care locally and nationally in Indonesia. By establishing better outcomes for children, these local actors stand to see enormous progress in the coming years.

Such incredible progress has not always been linear, as Harum has often encountered challenges in our advocacy. Each challenge, however, has presented the opportunity to explain to local authorities why family is important and why long-term care in orphanages can have negative long-term implications for children. Additionally, this has allowed us to expose unsafe orphanage practices throughout the country, providing further momentum for change.

Gatekeeping in Practice

As we continue to demonstrate our ability to assist the government in the decision-making process for placing a child into alternative care, we have provided critical support and direction for children requiring family strengthening in their biological families and aiding foster care families. Although not fully developed or formalised, local governments consult Harum in cases involving foster care, alternative care placements, or children at risk of legal conflict to determine the best course of action for the child. This collaboration has led to solutions such as placement in substitute families, foster care, temporary placement with relatives under strict supervision, and institutional care for a limited time. Additionally, Harum initiated cross-sector discussions involving the police, courts, education offices, and other stakeholders to address stalled or complex cases. These efforts have achieved significant progress and could serve as a model for future gatekeeping mechanisms.

Conclusion

As this project concludes, all of us at MJF are inspired by everything Harum has achieved throughout its duration. We celebrate both the significant milestones and the small, meaningful moments that together contribute to a brighter future for children in Indonesia.

It has been a privilege to partner with Harum as they work to build stronger systems and structures for children. While our collaboration on this project has officially ended, we are grateful to remain connected through our Partner Learning Exchanges and the vibrant community of partners we are proud to be part of. We are confident that this marks the beginning of even greater progress and impact for Harum across Indonesia, and we look forward to continuing to learn from and alongside them.

A New Partnership to Address the Challenges of Family Reintegration in Cambodia

Martin James Foundation (MJF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with This Life Cambodia, a community development organisation dedicated to empowering communities and addressing complex social challenges. This collaboration will provide essential support to children and families in Cambodia, particularly those affected by the sudden closure of residential care facilities (RCFs) and the subsequent reintegration of children back into their families and communities.

Founded in 2007, This Life Cambodia is an award-winning organisation with a strong reputation for empowering communities to tackle complex social challenges. Operating across eight provinces—Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Thom, Takéo, Pursat, Oddar Meanchey, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakiri provinces—This Life works directly with children, women, families, and communities, providing vital resources and support to help them overcome challenges such as poverty, limited access to education and healthcare, domestic violence, and substance abuse. Guided by a mission to listen, engage with, and advocate for communities, This Life empowers them to define and implement their own solutions, aiming for sustainable, community-driven change from within.

Cambodia faces significant socio-economic challenges, with many children living in orphanages due to factors such as poverty, the pursuit of better education, parental incarceration, or disability. Many of these children are not orphans and do have family but are placed in care due to circumstances beyond their control. In August 2023, the sudden closure of 34 RCFs across Cambodia left hundreds of children without support, threatening their safe and sustainable reintegration back into family life.

This Life Cambodia has identified 267 children who were suddenly sent back to their homes, many facing critical challenges such as food insecurity, inadequate shelter, lack of education, and protection issues. Of the 135 children currently enrolled in This Life’s support programme, 46% are at high risk, 46% at medium risk, and 8% at low risk. These figures underscore the urgent need for comprehensive intervention to support these children and their families during this transitional period.

This partnership represents a powerful collaboration between MJF and This Life Cambodia, working alongside local authorities and communities to address the pressing needs of children and families in Cambodia. Through this project, we aim to contribute to lasting change by ensuring children are supported within their families and communities, rather than institutional care.

“What we’ve learned is that many families placed their children in residential care hoping it would provide better education and break cycles of poverty – but this hasn’t been the case. These children should have remained with their families from the start, with proper support provided directly to families themselves. While the abrupt closure of residential facilities has created immediate challenges, our partnership with the Martin James Foundation allows us to provide what should have been there all along: direct support to families so they can care for their children in their own communities. Together, we’re committed to turning this moment into lasting change that strengthens families rather than separates them.”

“We are delighted to partner with This Life Cambodia, whose child-centred approach and dedication to meeting the unique needs of families and communities make them an ideal organisation to support the safe reintegration of children back into family care and community. We are grateful to contribute to their efforts, with a shared commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and loving family.”

Over 3 million children live in kinship care in Thailand, accounting for 25% of all children in the country. However, the percentage of children in kinship care varies in different regions, with the northeast of Thailand reaching 33%.

The northeast region has a long tradition of parents migrating for work within Thailand and internationally. In this region, kinship care can include an extended family of grandparents, aunts, and uncles who have lived in the same village for generations. Additionally, the northeast has a comparatively low number of private children’s homes compared to other parts of the country.

In western Thailand, along the Myanmar border, the percentage of children in kinship care drops to around 10%. In contrast, the number of private children’s homes, also known as orphanages, is higher in this region. In the past, we observed that many children living in these homes had previously been in kinship care. The proportion of these children in the homes was significantly higher than that of children still living in kinship care within the community. This overrepresentation highlighted the vulnerability of children in kinship care within the migrant community, underscoring the need for us to provide additional support to these families.

The Motivation Behind Kinship Care Support

Our motivation to have a specific kinship care support project was to keep these children out of children’s homes. In the migrant community, when a parent has died or disappeared, the likelihood of a child in kinship care going into a children’s home becomes very high. If both parents have died or disappeared, then it is almost guaranteed. In our research, we could not find any children in kinship care after both parents had died, yet we could find several such children in local children’s homes. This insight helps us develop the best strategy for each kinship family in need of support.

One Sky Foundation’s Approach

To address these challenges in Sangkhlaburi, One Sky Foundation provides various supports to kinship families, specifically those in migrant communities along the border. We also enable and support income-generation activities based on the strengths and interests of individual families. This can range from raising pigs, to opening a food stand, or running a small shop.

We also provide:

• Opportunities for peer-to-peer sharing and support for kinship carers.
• Family strengthening days, such as a family day out away from normal stress and pressure (e.g., a boat trip and picnic). During the day, the family is supported to talk through some of the challenges they are facing and to make promises to each other about how they will be more supportive of one another.
• Children’s activity days during the school holidays, as kinship families often have minimal resources for their children.

Support for Emergency Child Protection Cases

In emergency child protection cases, a child might be placed temporarily with a foster family while kinship care options are explored. Sometimes, kinship carers initially decline to take on children, but when assured that they will receive support, this often leads to a change of heart. Our team then assesses how well the children know the potential kinship carer and begins the process of integrating the child into their care at an appropriate pace.

What is Kinship Care? And how does it fit within the movement to care for vulnerable children?

The Martin James Foundation is part of a growing movement across the globe intentionally moving away from institutional models of alternative care towards supporting family-based care. We work directly with partners in many nations as they support vulnerable families to stay together and develop safety nets that allow vulnerable children to be placed in families, rather than sent to institutions, more commonly known as orphanages.

One of the most effective solutions available in this work is one that is often overlooked, and even misunderstood: Kinship Care. According to our colleagues at Family for Every Child “Kinship care is when grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, other relatives or friends of the family care for children instead of their birth parents.”

In practice, kinship care becomes critical when an emergency or crisis means a child cannot remain with their parents temporarily or permanently. This can include poverty, lack of access to healthcare or education, death of a parent, or broader crises like conflict, disaster or displacement. While these situations can cause a vulnerable family to face additional risk, none of them alone justifies separating a child from their family.

In this global care reform movement, there is consistent tension between the macro and micro view of protecting vulnerable children and families. From a macro perspective, we must push for policies, national government strategies and timelines that accelerate progress towards family-based care. On the other hand, we must keep the micro view in mind. At the end of these discussions are real children with real needs and concerns.  There are children currently living in institutional care that have not lived with their biological family for many years. Others live in families right on the brink of separation due to crisis or poverty.  In both views, we must prioritise preserving a child’s connection to their family whenever and however possible. Properly supporting kinship carers is a crucial part of this. By emphasising their role in care reform as part of family preservation, we believe we will see more children enabled to stay with their families.

To learn more about how MJF supports kinship care, please read this guest blog from our partner One Sky Foundation serving kinship carers and vulnerable children along the Thailand-Myanmar border: Kinship Care in Thailand blog.

Across the world, millions of children are unnecessarily separated from their families.  Many who support orphanages or residential care centers often believe they are providing for children who have no parents or family, however research indicates that this separation is actually driven by poverty .  As we have been privileged to work with amazing partners throughout many nations, we are seeing family reintegration and family strengthening every day to the benefit of many children, families and communities. 

But what does this have to do with the World Day Against Trafficking? 

This year’s theme is “Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind.”  In the spirit of that theme, we’d like to draw your attention to some victims of trafficking that may be hiding in plain sight: children currently living in orphanages or residential care centers throughout the world. 

While many orphanages or children’s homes operate in good faith, the existence of the orphanage system has allowed a new form of trafficking to emerge.  According to our colleagues at Better Care Network, Orphanage Trafficking is defined as “the recruitment and/or transfer of children to residential childcare facilities for a purpose of exploitation and profit¹.”

This kind of trafficking can be challenging to identify.  As with many forms of trafficking, a corrupt goal is often hidden behind a seemingly sincere offer of help.  Vulnerable families can often be led to believe they are sending their child to an orphanage to receive a superior education or access to a brighter future with better prospects.  Where orphanages are actively recruiting children out of families using deception and even coercion, orphanage trafficking is likely present.

Here are some fast facts on Orphanage Trafficking:

Orphanage Trafficking occurs more often in unregistered children’s homes or residential care centers². This happens when individuals or organisations have opened a home but have not gone through proper licensing procedures with their local and national government.  This presents an enormous risk to children as there is likely far less visibility on the care provided to children in an unregistered home.  New research on orphanage trafficking quotes a social worker in Cambodia on their observations of children in unregistered homes:

“In unregistered orphanages, children are more likely to have been exploited or threatened and are unwilling to talk out of fear. We can see it via the staff’s actions and the children’s reactions. The way the staff speak to the children indicates threats and use of power to make the children afraid. When this is happening, it’s not possible to reintegrate children. It’s important to distinguish when these risks exist. There was one case where the staff were physically abusing the children³.”

Orphanage Trafficking preys upon vulnerable families.  Where poverty, conflict, famine, displacement, or unrest occurs, families are more likely to be susceptible to offers of help that may harm their children in the end.

Orphanage Trafficking has exploitation or financial gain as its intention.  Trafficking Survivor Leader Barma Budha Magar, from Nepal, was placed into an orphanage with her sisters when she was five years old⁴.  Her mother had placed her children into the home on the promise of them receiving food, housing, and education that seemed superior to what she could provide them on her own.  She and her sisters were then sent to another orphanage that seemed better initially.  At this new orphanage, they were not permitted to speak about their biological family and endured repeated physical and mental abuse.  Barma remembers one day that she knew her mother and brother had come to visit her and her sisters, but the staff did not permit them to come inside.  After this, Barma and her sisters were reunified with her mother and brother, and she had a chance to ask her mother what had happened.  It was then she learned her mother had paid the owner of the orphanage 30,000 rupees to admit she and her sisters into the first orphanage, and another 45,000 rupees to send her brother to a children’s home for better education.  Additionally, when Barma and her sisters were sent to the second orphanage, she later learned that the second orphanage had paid for the sisters to come to their home.  She realised she had been trafficked without even knowing it.

Orphanage Trafficking hides behind the facade of the idea of “good” orphanages.  Another Trafficking Survivor Leader, Sinet Chan has shared her story of being trafficked in Cambodia⁵.  Her family was living in significant poverty when her parents both died from HIV/AIDS.  After this, she and her siblings were sent to an unregistered orphanage funded by foreign donations.  Initially, Sinet wondered if this orphanage might present her with a brighter future, but she quickly felt unsafe.  She remembers that she and the other children rarely had enough to eat, despite frequent visits from foreigners who often left large donations behind.  The children were forced to do hard manual labor every day in the fields owned by the orphanage director, who also repeatedly physically abused and raped Sinet and other children, even threatening to kill her if she ever spoke of her treatment there.  Shockingly, even after Sinet reported this abuse to local authorities, nothing was done.  The director continued to run this orphanage and was not charged with any of his many crimes.  A full 12 years would pass before this orphanage was shut down, meaning hundreds of additional children were exposed to this man’s abusive behavior.  Sinet eventually made a formal charge against her perpetrator, but the officials were unwilling to consider her case as trafficking.  She sadly remembers, “they sided with the offender, even though it was their job to protect me.”  Her case reveals an enormous misconception that allows this trafficking and abuse to hide in plain sight⁶.  Officials can often assume that those who run orphanages are good people and are slow to believe they are exploiting children.

Orphanage Trafficking can be fueled by the promise of support from foreign visitors and donors.  The establishment of orphanages that are primarily funded from Global North donor nations has created a system that incentivises higher numbers in children’s homes.  Lumos notes that in Uganda,

“The country saw an increase in the number of children institutions from just over 1,000 in the late 90s to approximately 55,000 now – despite a reduction in numbers of orphans. These orphanages are often built in the tourist ‘hotspots’, driven by international donations and volunteers from countries such as the UK⁷.”

While this paints a dark picture, there is good work being done around the world to combat the underlying conditions that perpetuate this abuse and support those who have survived Orphanage Trafficking.  You can be part of ending Orphanage Trafficking in several ways:

1. Don’t visit orphanages on your next mission trip or overseas adventure. While this may seem like a great way to “give back” to countries you visit, research tells us that this practice harms children in several ways.  Children separated from their families have already endured a significant disruption in their primary attachment.  This is further exacerbated by frequent visitors.  While you’ve likely seen pictures of cute, smiling children at orphanages or heard the stories of how much they loved having visitors, there is often pain beneath those selfies and stories. 
2. If you currently support an orphanage or children’s home, we’d encourage you ask their leaders some questions. Are you confident they are registered with their local and national authorities?  Do they have reporting mechanisms in place to ensure children are truly protected?  Could you potentially help them consider transitioning their model to support children in families instead?
3. Sign and share this petition from our colleagues at Hopeland to help with legislative efforts to formalize the prosecution of these crimes.
4. Commit to learning more about Orphanage Trafficking and the efforts being made to stop this crime. This brief from our colleagues at Better Care Network is a great place to start. Or you can listen to this recent webinar to hear more from brilliant leaders on this topic.

We join all those honouring today as the World Day Against Trafficking.  We share their hope to reach every victim of trafficking and leave no one behind.

As a note, Martin James Foundation specifically requested permission from both Barma and Sinet to share their name and story here.  

¹ See more here: https://bettercarenetwork.org/about-bcn/what-we-do/key-initiatives/global-collaborative-platform/thematic-brief-volunteering-voluntourism-tourism-and-trafficking-in-orphanages

² Nhep R, Deck S, van Doore K, Powell M. Detecting orphanage trafficking and exploitation. Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Jun;152:106813. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106813. Epub 2024 Apr 23. PMID: 38657489.

³ Nhep R, Deck S, van Doore K, Powell M. Detecting orphanage trafficking and exploitation. Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Jun;152:106813. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106813. Epub 2024 Apr 23. PMID: 38657489.

⁴ Hear more of Barma’s story here: https://bettercarenetwork.org/orphanagetrafficking_webinar

⁵ More of Sinet’s story here: https://bettercarenetwork.org/orphanagetrafficking_webinar

⁶ Read more here: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2017/08/23/2003677003

⁷ https://www.wearelumos.org/news-and-media/2019/01/15/ugandan-orphanage-business/#:~:text=The%20country%20saw%20an%20increase,countries%20such%20as%20the%20UK.

Think about answering the same questions repeatedly. What might it be like to share the most terrifying details of your life with a new adult regularly?

Participation, at its most fundamental level, means that at some point, an adult stops to look directly at the child to say, “How are we doing?“

Are we meeting your needs? 

What would you like us to do differently?  

Have you already shared this story elsewhere and would rather not share the details again?  

We must regularly ask for feedback from the children we are serving, and be ready to hear what needs to be adjusted. It means that professionals within the care space must be prepared to learn from the very children they are serving.  We must take deliberate, decisive action based on their feedback to ensure we improve our manner of care.

People with lived experience of care are indeed the experts in their lives and throughout the care reform sector. They may not yet have fancy titles or additional letters to add past their name, but of anyone we know, they have the most important perspective to offer. It’s why we believe we should prioritise asking them for input on the whole system, as well as their own care. It means ensuring people with lived experience a prominent seat at the table while we work to develop services and policies for children, youth and those with care experience. It must be genuine, demonstrated by a willingness to take the time to ensure their participation and perspective are integrated at every decision-making level. Every policy and service will be better for being informed by people with lived experience.

That’s why participation, authentic and genuine participation, is embedded into each of our projects with our valued global partners. Read on to hear how several of them prioritise participation within their programs today.

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance & Child Frontiers

“Five Reasons the Expertise of Children and Young People with Lived Experience of Care Must Take Centre Stage in Care Reform Efforts” 

By Hugh Salmon, Director, Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and Emily Delap, Senior Associate, Child Frontiers 

As countries work to achieve lasting family-based care solutions, children and young people with lived experience of care possess invaluable insights and wisdom. Yet, too often, their perspectives are sidelined or overlooked. The Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, Child Frontiers and Martin James Foundation are currently implementing a multi-national project that aims to improve the capacity of the social service workforce to respond to children at risk of family separation by learning directly from those with lived experience of care. 

There are five reasons, in particular, why we consider it imperative that the voices and expertise of children and young people with lived experience of care take centre stage in efforts to strengthen the social service workforce in support of care reform: 

1. Ensuring social services and work practice are grounded in reality: Children and young people who have experienced the care system firsthand possess a unique understanding of its intricacies, challenges, and shortcomings. Sharing these experiences can help identify gaps in services, barriers to access, and areas of social work practice that need improvement. These insights can ensure that the ways we strengthen the social service workforce are rooted in the lived realities of those the workforce aims to serve.
2. Empowerment: By engaging young people with experience in care, we can help foster a sense of belonging and purpose. By providing opportunities for meaningful participation, we also empower young people to become agents of change in improving social work practice in supporting children and families.
3. Informing training and development: Incorporating the insights and expertise of children and young people in care into the training and development of social service workers can greatly enrich the learning experience and provide practical resources for the workers. By sharing their positive and negative experiences, young people can also help shape more effective approaches to service delivery.
4. Advocacy and Policy Influence: The voices of children and young people with lived experience of care can be powerful catalysts for policy change. By following their lead in our advocacy campaigns, we can elevate issues that are otherwise all too often overlooked.
5. Driving Systemic Change: Ultimately, incorporating the expertise of children and young people with lived experience of care is not just about improving the quality of services and working practices—it’s about driving overall systemic change and moving closer to a world in which every child and family can benefit from lasting family-based care solutions.

Click here to learn more about the Strengthening the Social Service Workforce for Family-Based Care project.

Beyond this, Udayan Care has worked to incorporate the perspective and leadership of those who experienced care within their programs. By implementing their feedback and ideas, children served have been empowered to voice their opinions and advocate for their needs. This input has significantly influenced the operation and management of Udayan Care. Further, several youth with care experience are now employed within Udayan Care’s programs, providing crucial insight and leadership.  

New Guidance on Transition – Produced by People with Lived Experience 

Finally, this month, we are celebrating with several of MJF’s partners who collaborated on a new tool, Residential Care Transition Messaging. Leaders, including those with lived experience, from Child’s i Foundation, Forget Me Not, and Better Care Network worked to shape this powerful guide on approaching the transition of residential care models from the perspective of children who spent time in alternative care.   

This guide serves to remind those within care reform of the importance of clear communication with children and young people while a residential care home is being transitioned, noting that “although children and young people are the individuals whose lives are most impacted by transition, they are often rendered bystanders to a process imposed upon them. They may be left to wonder what is happening to them, with little agency to exercise their right to meaningful participation.”  

The guide is crucial for all practitioners involved in any care reform efforts, as it was developed by those who experienced alternative care directly. It contains powerful testimonies from children who were often left with questions.  Researchers noted children were concerned about whether their education support would continue or were confused as to why their “home” was being closed in the first place. The report also highlights the risk of offering disingenuous participation offers, with some children feeling as though their concerns and questions should have been addressed throughout the transition process. To address these concerns, the guide recommends that leaders “clarify the areas in which children and young people will be allowed to make decisions versus the areas in which they will have no choice at all, and the areas in between. Consider not only the developmental age of children and young people but also be mindful of resource limitations.” 

The report concludes with this powerful advice, “Be kind to care leavers. They have been through a lot at a young age.” 

All of us at Martin James Foundation are deeply grateful for the leaders and partners with care experience from whom we learn daily. We are thankful to follow their lead and share their hope that one day, every child will grow up in a safe and loving family.

Strengthening the Social Service Workforce for Family-Based Care: Learning from Young People with Lived Experience of Care 

The Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, Child Frontiers and Martin James Foundation are delighted to announce an innovative new project beginning this year. This multi-national, multi-year project will work to learn from and amplify the knowledge and expertise of young adults with lived experience of care, their families, and social workers serving vulnerable children worldwide to develop a range of new training and advocacy tools for the social service workforce.   

This project comes at a crucial time in history as nations are growing in the recognition of the value of family for every child’s development and well-being. This has led many to adopt new laws and policies to prevent the separation of children from their families and ensure family-based alternative care options are available when necessary. To ensure the social service workforce worldwide is ready to meet the requirements set forth in these new laws and policies, this project looks to learn directly from young adults with lived experience of care. Our hope is their expertise, insight, and knowledge will strengthen, deepen, and sustain the motivation and competencies of the social service workforce. 

While research indicates the central role family plays in the healthy development of every child, many countries throughout the world still rely primarily upon residential care to provide alternative care for children. Millions of children are, therefore, growing up in residential care or are currently at risk of being separated for long periods of time from their families and communities.   

As the first line of response for many children and families at risk of separation, a well-developed and supported social service workforce plays an essential role in helping countries achieve lasting family-based care solutions. It is critical to ensure that these social workers, paraprofessionals and community volunteers are well-resourced, trained and equipped to ensure that children are not unnecessarily separated from their original family and returned to their families and supported when separation has occurred. Further, when children do require alternative care, it is critical that the social service workforce be equipped to ensure that every child receives high-quality, family-based care through kinship care, foster care, or adoption.     

This project aims to enhance this workforce’s skill set by turning directly to young people with lived experience of care. Implemented in Brazil, India and Uganda, the project will begin by documenting the knowledge and perspective of those with care experience through videos, written testimonies and other creative media. Expertise gathered will inform a series of training and advocacy tools in each country. The training tools will aim to enhance the knowledge, resources and practices of social service workers as they are increasingly motivated by and skilled in prioritizing family strengthening and family-based alternative care. The advocacy tools will aim to raise awareness of the crucial role of social service workers in supporting governments to reform care systems and of the need to increase long-term investment in this essential workforce, covering not only adequate salaries and resources, but the resources required to build and incentivize continuous professional development and supervision.  

“Incorporating the knowledge and experiences of care-experienced youth, family members, and practitioners is crucial in shifting policies and workforce practices away from a reliance on residential care, ” says Hugh Salmon, Director of the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance. “The perspectives of those with lived experience can guide the creation of more effective alternative care models centred on the needs and wishes of the child and on empowering families to provide good care for their children. This will enable a more responsive and empathetic approach to protecting children who might otherwise be at risk of losing the care of a family.” 

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“As we aim to be led by young adults with lived experience of care, we are really pleased to be collaborating with the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and Child Frontiers. We celebrate the fundamental importance of social workers and the pivotal difference they make in the lives of children and families. When they have the best, evidence-informed tools and resources available, children and families greatly benefit,” said Ailsa Laxton, Director of Global Programmes at Martin James Foundation.   

Stay tuned for more information as this two-year project unfolds. 

The Biannual Conference on Alternative Care (BICON) is an inter-agency cooperation of eight leading international NGOs focused on alternative care for children. Since 2014, BICON has been a leading conference focusing on the rights of children and young people without parental care (CWPC) in Asia.

The 5th BICON took place in Kathmandu, Nepal, over two days in September, and it was a remarkable event that showcased the collective efforts and commitment to care reform in Asia.

MJF was pleased to support the conference and have two staff members (Louise Cox, International Programme Manager and Seema Naaz, Practice Development Coordinator) attend in person. Seema shares her reflections from BICON below.

It was a sincere pleasure to attend BICON 2023, which served as a pivotal regional advocacy platform, uniting stakeholders from various countries, all committed to enhancing the lives of children through advocating for deinstitutionalization and family-based alternative care. From advocates to policymakers from countries like India, Indonesia, and Japan, participants shared insights and experiences, fostering a collaborative spirit and solidarity. The event’s mission was clear: championing regional care reform and urging governments to prioritize family-based care. This dedication highlighted the collective belief in ensuring every child’s right to a nurturing family environment.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to fostering momentum for Care Reform throughout Asia. Engaging discussions spanned a spectrum of critical themes, encompassing Foster Care, Kinship Care, Community Approaches and Support, the welfare of children with disabilities, the imperative for care reform, and the interplay of culture and identity.

As the conference transitioned into its second day, the spotlight shifted towards providing a platform for young people with lived experience of care (sometimes called care leavers) to share their perspectives. Thought-provoking conversations delved deep into well-being and mental health, implementing systemic approaches to drive Care Reform, harnessing the transformative potential of data, and presenting key recommendations stemming from the rich discourse at BICON 2023.

One of the most distinctive and inspiring aspects of BICON 2023 was its emphasis on including young people with lived experience as experts in the discussions. This approach added depth and authenticity to the conversations and empowered those who have directly experienced alternative care to actively shape policies and practices. The emphasis placed on the voices of those with lived experiences was best encapsulated by Birendra Shahi’s poignant quote:

“We are the Story. We are the Truth. We are the Evidence.”

Care leavers highlighted several crucial aspects concerning voluntourism during the conference. These included concerns about the lack of ‘informed consent’ when volunteers and staff visit orphanages to take pictures for fundraising purposes and share them with donors. There was also a focus on the psychological impact on children resulting from interactions with new people/volunteers, the attachments formed with them, and the sudden loss of contact. One care leaver even likened the experience in an orphanage to a ‘human zoo.’

The conference also emphasized the significance of aftercare services and programs, underscoring the vulnerability of children and young people leaving care. They require substantial support when transitioning from a care facility to an unfamiliar world. Additionally, it sheds light on the challenges care leavers face after turning 18 and reintegrating into society. A noteworthy aspect of the conference was its strong emphasis on preserving the right to culture and identity, especially considering the long-term goal of providing alternative care that leads to reunification. It emphasized the importance of recognizing that each individual is shaped by their culture and religion. Therefore, every child should have the opportunity to learn and practice their culture, staying connected to their roots even while in care, as they are destined to return to their society once they leave institutional care.

This BICON represents a significant step toward improving the lives of young children, care leavers, and their families. Its effects will ripple out and make a substantial impact in the future. As Albert Justin, Youth Ambassador from the Miracle Foundation, India, aptly said,

“I know I can’t change any care leaver’s past, but my initiative will change their future.”

In conclusion, a compelling statement that encapsulates the key insights from the conference is:

“Care reform is incomplete without the input of those with care experience!”

In summary, BICON 2023 was not just another conference but a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change in family-based alternative care for children and youth in Asia. It reinforced the importance of collaboration, inclusivity, and the power of lived experience in driving forward the cause of children’s rights and care reform. As the outcomes and discussions of this conference continue to resonate, it is clear that Asia has solidified its place in the global discourse on these vital issues, with BICON at the heart of this transformative journey.

To access the forthcoming BICON report and get updates about BICON 2025, please visit https://bicon.asia.

In Madagascar, as in many countries, poverty, not the lack of a family, is a primary driver of children being placed in institutions.

Bianca’s story is a testament to this reality.

Bianca, a 40-year-old mother of five daughters, calls Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, her home. Her life took a tragic turn when her first husband, the father of her two eldest daughters, passed away when their second child was just one month old. Bianca had three more children, now aged 8, 5, and 3, with her second partner in the following years.

Her eldest moved out when she turned 21, leaving Bianca with her four younger children at home. However, the family’s unstable financial situation and the ill-treatment of her 12-year-old daughter by her stepfather led to the child’s placement in an institution in 2022.

This is where FAM, in partnership with MJF, stepped in. Recognising that empowering women economically is a crucial gatekeeping mechanism to prevent children from entering institutions, FAM supports mothers like Bianca. Our joint aim is to strengthen families and ensure that children do not remain in institutional care long-term.

FAM partnered with the institution where Bianca’s daughter was placed, supporting mothers in their entrepreneurial endeavours. The project’s primary goal was to enable these mothers to generate a better income, facilitating the reintegration and reunification of their families.

Through the coordinated efforts of the centre, the mothers, and FAM, Bianca was able to take charge and reunite with her child. FAM continues to provide psycho-social assistance to the family and the child, collaborating closely with the centre.

Today, thanks to these efforts, children are living with their families and enjoying their rights to education and play. Bianca’s journey underscores the critical role of economic empowerment in preventing children from growing up in institutions, including orphanages. By supporting mothers like Bianca, we can strengthen families, promote child reintegration, and ensure that children enjoy their right to a family. Her story is a powerful testament to the transformative impact of such interventions and a compelling call to action for us all.