| BCN Newsletter: 18 February 2012 |
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To the Better Care Network:
The Secretariat and Steering Committee of the Better Care Network are pleased to share the recent appointment of Severine Chevrel to the role of the new BCN Senior Coordinator!
Severine comes to BCN with an impressive range of expertise in alternative care and child protection issues globally and will be a formative force in shaping BCN's agenda moving forward.
For over seven years Severine Chevrel has worked in the field of child protection at global and country levels on issues of separated children, children affected by armed conflict and other vulnerable children. Prior to joining the Better Care Network as the Senior Coordinator, Severine was with UNICEF Haiti, initially within the emergency response in the aftermath of the January 12th 2010 earthquake, and then supporting the Haitian Government on alternative care and birth registration. .
Before joining UNICEF Haiti, Severine led the Capacity Strengthening Program with Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. She worked with local organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Thai-Burma border and Colombia to increase their capacity to document and respond to grave violations against children in armed conflict, strengthen networks and advocate for stronger child protection policies at local, national and global levels. Previously, under the guidance of UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee and Save the Children's Steering Committee, Severine oversaw the development, implementation and coordination of the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System and related tools to support programs for separated children, children formerly associated with armed forces and groups, and other vulnerable children in over 10 countries.
Join us in welcoming Severine to the BCN community!
Best,
The Better Care Network Secretariat |
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EVERYCHILD'S NEW RESOURCE: Making Social Work Work | |
This recent study by UNICEF in Armenia costed different types of residential care and community based services in order to forecast the financial implication of the Government of Armenia's reform policies which emphasize deinstitutionalization and transition to community based forms of care. The study shows that the reallocation of children into family care does not necessarily lead to the creation of an additional burden on the state budget. On the contrary, depending on the policy chosen, the savings can be quite tangible, even if the reform costs include the provision of jobs to excessive staff of the discharged residential institutions and additional social support and care services for children released from residential institutions and their families. View the full report at
http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=27566&themeID=1001&topicID=1006 |
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NEW RESOURCE: Towards Alternative Child Care Services in Armenia: Costing Residential Care Institutions and Community Based Services | |
This recent study by UNICEF in Armenia costed different types of residential care and community based services in order to forecast the financial implication of the Government of Armenia's reform policies which emphasize deinstitutionalization and transition to community based forms of care. The study shows that the reallocation of children into family care does not necessarily lead to the creation of an additional burden on the state budget. On the contrary, depending on the policy chosen, the savings can be quite tangible, even if the reform costs include the provision of jobs to excessive staff of the discharged residential institutions and additional social support and care services for children released from residential institutions and their families. View the full report at:
http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=27566&themeID=1001&topicID=1006 |
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New Resource: Strengthening Child Care Services and Systems | |
Strengthening Child Care Services and Systems documents the Governmental of Georgia's notable steps to facilitate a coordinated approach to child care reform with an emphasis on deinstitutionalization and the development of alternatives, including small scale residential and community based services. The current quarterly report summarizes the technical process, ongoing progress, challenges and opportunities in implementing the three year Project - Strengthening Child Care Services and Systems implemented by UNICEF which covers 2010 - 2013. In addition to the work with children living in institutions, the project places great emphasis on preventing family separation. Small Group Homes are being used as the best option for children when reunification with family, adoption, or safe foster care is not in the child's best interest. Read more at:
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NEW RESOURCE: National Standard of Care for Child Welfare | |
Indonesia's National Standards of Care for Child Welfare Institutions is a crucial policy instrument, drafted in response to the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, regulating the provision of alternative care for children. The drafting of the National Standards of Care was based on the findings of two important studies conducted by Save the Children - Research on the Quality of Care in Childcare Institutions and Child Led Research. The report lays out the process of drafting the standards and highlights some of the objectives of the standards, approaches, along with other details such as the establishment, permit and accreditation of child welfare institutions.
View the entire report at:
http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=27571&themeID=1001&topicID=1007 |
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NEW RESOURCE: Life as a Care-Leaver in Kenya |
Young care-leavers who have lived for a long period of time within institutional care settings apart from their birth families represent a target group of persons that can be at great risk of poverty and social exclusion. In an effort to further understand the challenges and problems facing youth leaving institutional care, BCN Advisory Group member, Stephen Ucembe, conducted research, utilizing a multi-focused questionnaire with a group of Kenya care-leavers. This report is the result of a workshop held with a group of 19 young care-leavers drawn from ten different charitable children's institutions or rehabilitation centres in order to better understand the social, emotional and life skills challenges faced by young persons exiting the care system.
http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=27570&themeID=1002&topicID=1017 |
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
Evaluation of GHR Foundations' Children in Families Initiative |
The GHR Foundation is currently accepting proposals for a consultant or organization to produce a technically sound assessment to evaluate CIF's program development, design, and management; assess the grant programs (including capturing the voice of the child); identify lessons learned; and develop a set of recommendations related to future engagement. Applications will be accepted until March 2, 2012. To learn more, visit: http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=27572&themeID=1002&topicID=1017 |
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General Information | |
As of 18 February, the newsletter has 2821 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 listserv 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 website, and click on the upper right box where it says "click here to sign up for our email announcements".
http://www.bettercarenetwork.org |
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