Ethical International Partnerships involving Children & Residential Care

Loved the opportunity to join this panel to discuss Ethical International Partnerships involving Children & Residential Care and disentangling our Universities and organizations from supporting some institutional care models. While residential care is still needed as a short-term remedy to support and protect children in some circumstances, it’s time our efforts become re-prioritized in long-term sustainable family-based care for vulnerable children. Reflecting on my own work in protecting street-living children, I still think there are good models that can provide residential care and rehabilitation for children in such circumstances, but these approaches should be few and far between when compared to long-term family reunification and kinship care.

Perhaps this is helpful. Maya Angelou who said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” It’s time we do better. Long-term orphanages are not better. Research is clear, kids need families, that’s why we focus our time and efforts in supporting and exposing our students to models that support such concepts.

Here are some great resources for additional research