The Priority of Family-Based Care
Key Learnings
● Scripture, social science and our own hearts confirm that family is God’s best for a child
● Poverty is the number one reason children are placed in orphanages and is arguably not a legitimate or viable reason for a child to be removed from family care
● It’s reported that nearly 80% of children living in institutions have a living parent
● Continuum of care - our goal is to expand the menu of care options that are available to a child who ends up out of parental care: biological parent, kinship care, foster care, domestic adoption, international adoption, residential care/orphanage
● Orphanages are a legitimate part of the menu of care options: best for short-term placement, always working on a concurrent plan to place child back into family setting, with effective gate-keeping in place or in situations of extreme rehabilitative or therapeutic services are necessary
● Gate-Keeping is an essential part of ensuring that children are not placed in residential care too quickly and that all family-based care options are considered Children should be respected and play a role in voicing their desires in the process of deciding on an alternative care placement.
● The goal is for residential care to be as family-like as possible: small (4-12 children), consistent care-givers, individualized attention to children’s needs, children around the same age, home placed in the community and children integrated into local community as much as possible, strong social work support with concurrent permanency planning taking place
● Our goal is NOT a certain model of care no matter what but rather is always whatever is in the best interest of the child Expanding gate-keeping and social work capacity will help to create a unique placement plan and plan for permanency for each unique child and each unique situation.
Key Action Items
● Consider how you can best support family-based care: with your giving and donations, with your short-term missions activities, in the way you advocate for and communicate about vulnerable children, and in how you can provide a family for a waiting child.
Further Resources
● Faith to Action
● Families Not Orphanages, Every Child Deserves A Family, Kinnected Resources
● CAFO Transitioning to Family Care Resources
