NEW REPORT: The 5th Annual Report to Congress on Public Law 109-95

The Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children

The Fifth Annual Report to Congress on Public Law 109-95, The Assistance for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act of 2005 highlights continued efforts made by the U.S. Government to improve coordination on behalf of vulnerable children. In keeping with the PL 109-95 mandate to coordinate and disseminate evidence-based best practices, the Secretariat is making strides to firmly and strategically integrate children's developmental protection within health, education and other sectors, thereby  laying the groundwork for coordinated interventions that more effectively address the complex nature of children's risks and opportunities. The report also captures key outputs from the recent US Government Evidence Based Summit on Protecting Children outside of Family Care.  

http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=28333&themeID=1001&topicID=1009

 SOS Children's Villages has produced an assessment tool for the implementation of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. It has been designed to support the advocacy activities of SOS Children's Villages. The tool's main focus is to measure a state's obligations under the UNCRC, in providing quality care arrangements for all children who have lost parental care and those families at risk of separation. It looks in depth at the mechanisms to support families and those gate keeping arrangements to ensure that alternative care is only used when absolutely necessary. It also looks at the various range of care options available within a state and questions duty bearers responsibilities in terms of staffing, child protection, financial arrangements and standards of care.

The tool can be downloaded here: (http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=28334&themeID=1001&topicID=1006 ).  To receive it in Spanish, Russian or French, email BCN at contact@bettercarenetwork.org

Issues related to care and children outside of families are addressed across these 5 sections, with submissions dedicated to child abandonment, provision of statutory foster care, and the effectiveness of child support grant programs. Read more:

http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=28336&themeID=1001&topicID=1006

The paper highlights that investing in Malawi's emerging national child protection system will support national social protection goals. This analysis is timely, as the child protection and social protection programmes in Malawi are both in a state of transition, with the development of a national child protection system and the national social support policy being finalized. The Government is bringing together its various responses to child protection and orphans and vulnerable children as the foundation on which to build the national child protection system, with the intention of delivering a coordinated, harmonised and systematic approach to protecting children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. Read more:

http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=28335&themeID=1001&topicID=1006

This study recruited a cohort of 157 recent orphans and 480 non-orphans aged 9-15 in a region of high HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa using stratified cluster sampling to determine the impact of recent parental death on health and food insecurity of school-going orphans compared to non-orphans over time.

• In the health domain, compared to non-orphans, double orphans were more likely to report worse health status and being very ill in the previous 12 months.
• For those who reported being very ill, maternal or paternal orphans were more than twice as likely not to seek care than non-orphans; no differences were found for double orphans.
• For nutrition and food insecurity, maternal or paternal orphans were more likely not to have eaten dinner and to have gone to bed hungry the previous night compared to non-orphans; no differences were found for double orphans.

Overall, recent school-aged orphans were disadvantaged in health and food insecurity within two years after the death of a parent, compared to their non-orphaned counterparts, but the disparities were smaller than expected. No changes in health, nutritional status, or food insecurity were apparent over the three study rounds. Longer term effects into adulthood may well be more pronounced and warrant careful longitudinal investigation.To receive the full journal article, email BCN Secretariat at contact@bettercarenetwork.org

The Faith to Action Initiative Seeks Consultant Coordinator

The Faith to Action Initiative is seeking a Consultant Coordinator to expand it's advocacy and outreach efforts promoting best practice in care for orphan and vulnerable children.  The ideal applicant will have a comfort and familiarity working within the U.S. Christian orphan care community as well as experience in international development - specifically alternative care for orphans and vulnerable children. This position is a two-year contract with part time hours and the flexibility to work from home. Details to be negotiated pending funding and the needs of the selected candidate. Applications are now being accepted and proposed starting date will fall between June-September of 2012.  Full terms of reference is available here:

http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details_news.asp?ID=28338&themeID=1002&topicID=1017

 UPCOMING CONFERENCE:

5th International Policy Conference on the African Child

Fifth International Policy Conference on the African Child: Intercountry Adoption: Alternatives and Controversies

May 29 and 30, 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia