Millions of children denied their family, says SOS

Millions of children across the world are unnecessarily separated and denied their family. They’re denied the family bonds they need to thrive. Yet we well know the harmful effects. Governments should build effective support in place of systems that separate families.

That’s what Dereje Wordofa, President of SOS Children’s Villages International, and Chrissie Gale, lead researcher, say about their international report on children and young people without parental care.

They studied children in alternative care in eight countries. In Côte d’Ivoire, Denmark, El Salvador, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, El Salvador, Lebanon, Indonesia and Uruguay.

They found that government services and stressed workers take the cheap and easy option rather than support what families and children need together. The list on the right shows some of the complex factors behind this.

Best interest?

“We always talk about decisions being made in the best interest of the child, but very often, we’re finding that is not the case,” said Chrissie Gale. Globally one in 10 children live without parental care or are at risk of losing it.

Yet 35 years ago all UN member states (except for the United States) endorsed as legally binding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

And that convention affirmed the vital role that families play in a child’s upbringing. Separation from their family should occur only as a last resort.

The challenges of life

Violence – in the family and throughout society – was a particularly strong factor increasing the risk of children growing up without parental care. High levels of physical and sexual violence occur in families. But that’s not all. Over 300 million children worldwide are are at risk of armed groups recruiting them. Living with their parents keeps them safer.

Simple poverty and absence of basic commodities, healthcare and education are common reasons for children being in alternative care. Sometimes parents migrate because of poverty but the social carers may not be able to care well for the children.

The solution?

The research means governments should build systems of preventative family support and child protection. And care plays an essential role in allowing a society to develop.

The investment that is done in supporting families has a higher return than the investment that is done when children are separated from their families.” Chrissie Gale, lead researcher

We see many ways that government may unwittingly promote the family separation that harms children and society. They don’t realise the long-term personal and financial benefits gained through effective support and intervention for children and families at their front line.

Photos from MSN