Full IFCO 2014 European Conference Programme by IFCO

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Table of Contents Welcome Notes ................................................................................................ IFCO President .............................................................................................. WIT President ................................................................................................ Conference Co-hosts .................................................................................... Youth Programme Co-ordinator .................................................................... Children’s Programme Co-ordinator ............................................................. Author of IFCO 2014 Conference Logo ......................................................... Partners .............................................................................................................. Maps and Directions ......................................................................................... WIT Main Campus Map .................................................................................. Waterford City Map ......................................................................................... How to Walk to WIT Manor Village Accommodation and the Tower Hotel Daily Bus Transfers ......................................................................................... General Information .......................................................................................... Registration ..................................................................................................... Children’s and Youth Registration Desk ......................................................... Exhibition Stands ............................................................................................ IFCO Silent Auction ........................................................................................ IFCO Information Desk ................................................................................... Meals and Refreshments ................................................................................ Health and Safety / Health Insurance ............................................................. ‘Quiet Room’ ................................................................................................... Smoking .......................................................................................................... Medical Assistance / Emergency Numbers ................................................... IFCO 2014 Social Programme ......................................................................... The 2014 Annual General Meeting of FCOI / IFCO ........................................ Networking Event .............................................................................................. How to Become an IFCO Member ................................................................... Conference Schedule at a Glance ................................................................... Adult Programme .............................................................................................. Plenary Abstracts ........................................................................................... Workshop Abstracts ....................................................................................... Youth Programme .............................................................................................. Workshop Abstracts ....................................................................................... Children’s Programme ...................................................................................... Previous IFCO Conferences ............................................................................ Notes ..................................................................................................................

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Welcome to IFCO 2014

Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the IFCO 2014 European Conference on behalf of the Board of Directors of IFCO. You have now officially become a part of the IFCO family, a part of the huge fostering community from around the globe - 5 continents and more than 30 countries are represented in Waterford here today. We are very honoured that our network grows and extends with the people who are committed to change, who believe in happiness, love, and care for every child in a family. The IFCO conferences offer a unique environment with a delicate balance between new learning, exchange of existing practice and research, networking, celebration of success, and the interaction and equal treatment of all stakeholders; including the often forgotten voices of foster parents and children and young people in, and from care. We have prominent and inspirational speakers and workshop leaders with us this year. During the conference they will share best practices from the field and tools that can be used to support families, children and youth in our communities. This year’s theme of the conference – Ensuring the Rights of the Child & Family Centred Services – and the current situation in my native country, Ukraine, highlights the crucial understanding that family is the centre and the most grounded, the most important, and the most resourceful support to everyone, and especially children. Thus, in such a rapidly changing world we all – governments, non-governmental organisations, parents, youth and children – need to unite efforts in creating the systems and environments which are the most supportive to families and children. IFCO 2014 would not be possible without the commitment and hard work of hosting Board members – Jean Anne Kennedy, IFCO’s Vice President, and Danielle Douglas – who have put enormous efforts into organising this conference in a very short time. We are also thankful to our local and national partners – Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), the Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) and the National Care Leavers Network (NCLN). In particular, we thank WIT and its staff for hosting the conference and to the local volunteers who have given so freely of their time to make sure this conference is a success. I do wish you all to take advantage of the “ocean” of knowledge and experiences during the days of IFCO 2014 conference, find new inspirations and new friends, and feel love and support of a big IFCO family. And we are looking forward to seeing you in Sydney, Australia in November 2015 for the IFCO 2015 World Conference! Sincerely,

Dr Volodymyr Kuzminskyi President, International Foster Care Organisation

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Welcome to WIT

I am delighted to welcome all delegates attending the IFCO European Regional Conference to Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). It is a great honour for us to host such an important and prestigious event, and I hope you will have a pleasant stay in the “sunny South East”. As the capital of the South East region of Ireland, Waterford has much to offer by way of hospitality, culture, history and leisure. Indeed, Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city, celebrating its 1100th anniversary this year, so I hope you will have opportunities to celebrate with us and enjoy the wider delights of the city and county during your time here. The theme of this year’s conference, Ensuring the Rights of the Child and Family Centred Services, is a topic close to the heart and mission of WIT both in academic terms through our Social Care, Early Childhood and other related programmes, and in the many mentoring and support initiatives we run with the local communities. I commend the important, often challenging, work carried out around the world by IFCO members and related professionals. Your ceaseless endeavours help enormously to lighten the burden on many vulnerable children, and long may you continue to do so. No doubt, the discussions and deliberations at the various sessions over the next few days will help to promote best practice in this field into the future. Finally, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the conference organisers and to all who contributed to the success of this event.

Dr Ruaidhrí Neavyn President, WIT

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Welcome to Ireland

Céad Míle Fáilte!!! Hello and Welcome to IFCO 2014!!! We are honoured and proud to welcome you to our home city of Waterford which at over 1100 years old, stands as the oldest city in Ireland! If you have been to IFCO conferences before, then you already know that it will be a perfect balance of meeting like-minded people, learning new and interesting information, networking and most importantly “having the “craic” (fun!). If this is your first time at an IFCO event, then welcome to the IFCO family and we hope your time here is as enjoyable as possible and will leave you wanting more! Making the decision to have the conference here was an exciting, yet truly bittersweet time. We know that our colleagues in Ukraine would have organised an amazing event and are deeply saddened that this could not come to fruition this year. We really hope that someday in the near future IFCO can return to Ukraine as planned. While we are delighted to welcome you all to our city and look forward to showing you the delights and attractions of an Irish experience, our thoughts and wishes are with the people of Ukraine also. Hosting this conference together was also a daunting one as we had just 7 months to organise an event that usually takes 18 months! However, this was made possible by the unbelievable generosity of time and efforts by the IFCO Secretariat, all of the staff at Waterford Institute of Technology and Campus Services, partners and sponsors of IFCO 2014, our wonderful volunteers and probably most importantly our forever patient families and friends who offered so much support throughout the planning stages. As organisers, we have care experience from both sides of the coin – as a care leaver and as a child of foster carers. Between us, we have been attending IFCO conferences for over 20 (more?) years and as such have been involved in lots of fun and diverse events. The benefits we received from attending IFCO events ranged from making life-long friends from similar backgrounds, learning the importance of youth participation ,and in later years invaluable theoretical content from the adult programme and guest speakers and presenters. This inspired us to also become board members of IFCO so we can steer the organisation using our experiences and knowledge. We figured it was now time to for us to even more so put this knowledge to use and give back to IFCO and its members. We hope that we have combined these experiences to ensure a diverse programme which is holistic and child centred, but also informative and practice based. Finally, a big thank you to YOU, for making this conference a reality. Whether you are an attendee, workshop presenter or plenary speaker without your contribution there would be no conference and we are grateful for your participation and contribution. Go raibh maith agaibh, Danielle & Jean Anne Danielle Douglas and Jean Anne Kennedy Co-hosts, IFCO 2014 European Conference

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Welcome to the IFCO 2014 Youth Programme

Hello and Welcome! I am so incredibly excited to have each and every one of you here to participate in the IFCO 2014 European Meeting. For the first year ever, IFCO has designed and developed two youth tracks running side by side: one for Youth Advocates who are still discovering and developing their own story (EmpowerMEnt), and one for Advocates for Youth (Advocacy), who are Youth Advocates who have successfully utilized their voice for positive changes around them, and who are ready to continue doing so with a policy focus on a global level. Whichever track you choose, I can’t wait for you get started! I remember my first IFCO conference as a Youth Advocate – I came looking for all the things that were different across languages, cultures, and care systems, but what I found was, that although there were some differences, it didn’t matter what language you spoke, what country you were from, or what type of out-of-home care you were involved in. The shared understanding and experience of being a care leaver spanned beyond any differences that we might have had. I can’t wait for you to have the same experience, learn about what IFCO has to offer, and how you can continue to stay involved and connected to other Care Leavers through our Global Youth in Care Network. Please enjoy, and don’t hesitate to share any questions, ideas, thoughts or concerns with our awesome Youth Track Team. We’re glad you’re here! Lacy Kendrick Burk Secretary, IFCO Board of Directors Youth Committee Chair Care Leaver

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Welcome to IFCO 2014 Children’s Programme

Céad míle fáilte, That is ‘a hundred thousand welcomes’ to you and your family to the children’s programme at the International Foster Care Organisation Conference 2014. We are delighted to offer a vibrant children’s programme this year in Waterford, Ireland. Children are at the heart of IFCO — they are our focus so it is very important that we provide an exciting and engaging programme that hopefully children will remember for many years to come. We want to harness their enthusiasm about being at the conference and offer them the opportunity to illustrate their love of life and to express themselves through our programme. Our aim is to provide the space for children to connect with other children, through shared activities, stories and projects. We want to offer children a chance to play and to enjoy the company of other international children. We are proud that some of the organisers of this conference were, once upon a time, children who participated at previous IFCO conferences, which proves how important it is to provide a forum for children to meet and be together in the spirit of our organisation. Who knows what the impact of being a valued conference delegate has on a child in foster care or a child from a foster family? Our wish is to be as inclusive to our child delegates as to the adults and to truly value their resourcefulness, resilience and their personal contributions. We are very fortunate to have an energetic group of volunteers, with completed background checks and experience with children, supporting us to make this a terrific programme of activities. I am looking forward to meeting you and your children at the conference, Best wishes, Katie Cagney Children’s programme coordinator

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A Brief Introduction to IFCO2014 Logo

Hi, My name is Davin. I am an 18 year old student studying architecture here in WIT. I have been in foster care since I was five weeks old. My foster father, Frank Keating, is a lecturer here in WIT and I have been to numerous IFCO conferences with him. I was asked to design this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo because they wanted a youth in caresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective, but also because I love to draw and design. The logo is based on a Celtic design, representing connectivity, positivity, strength and teamwork. Things I would associate with IFCO. The intertwining pieces of the logo are represented by human figures, to represent teamwork and connection, things which are very important in foster care. They are locking their hands together protecting an inner circle, which represents the child, the very thing that IFCO works for. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the conference, and I hope you find the conference enjoyable and inspiring. Davin Connolly Author, IFCO 2014 Conference Logo

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Partners Conference Partners

Sponsoring Partners

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

WIT is the major provider of higher education in the South East region of Ireland and one of the largest Institutes of Technology in Ireland. The range of academic programmes is exceptionally extensive with over 10,000 students and 1,000 staff spread over five campuses across the city. WIT has the highest number of students within the Institute of Technology sector, outside of Dublin, participating at ordinary degree level and above. For more information please visit www.wit.ie.

Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA)

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs focuses on harmonising policy issues that affect children in areas such as early childhood care and education, youth justice, child welfare and protection, children and young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation, research on children and young people, youth work and crosscutting initiatives for children. Established in June 2011, the Department includes: the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. For more information please visit www.dcya.gov.ie.

Fresh Start

IFCA was founded in 1981 by a group of foster carers and social workers. The Association offers its members support and information and keeps them up to date with regard to changes in practice in relation to foster care. The Irish Foster Care Association works to promote foster care as the best alternative for children who cannot live with their own families. IFCA offers training, advocacy and support to its members and other stakeholders. Membership is organised via local, regional and national level representation. For more information please visit www.ifca.ie.

As one of the largest private providers of childcare services in Ireland, Fresh Start aims to ensure the highest quality of care for children, young people and families through therapeutic services, aftercare, family support, foster care and community support. Having commenced operation in Ireland in 2001, Fresh Start caters to the individual needs of all the young people they care for, keeping its current leading status in the market-place through the dedication, commitment and hard work of all involved. For more information please visit www.freshstart.ie.

Irish Care Leavers Network (ICLN)

Logstics Partner JJ Kavanagh & Sons Ltd

Founded in 2014, ICLN is the first and only network for care leavers in Ireland. Focusing on many issues that are relevant to care leavers and children in care, the Network has been set up to provide information, advice and support, to raise awareness and to bring together the voices of care leavers of all ages to help improve the quality of care leaversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives and the current care system. For more information please visit www.icln.ie.

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J.J. Kavanagh & Sons was established in 1919 and is 100% Irish-owned. It has developed from being one of the first private providers of public transport, into the largest privately owned Coach Company in Ireland today. With a number of nationwide offices and a website that operates 24 hours a day, you can book your tickets from or to Dublin airport for IFCO2014 directly. For more information please check www.bit.ly/JJKavanagh.

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Maps and Directions

The Gallery Restaurant

- Venue for lunch for all delegates

Tourism and Leisure Building - All workshops - Networking event

WIT College Fields

- On-site WIT Accommodation for delegates

Luke Wadding Library (the side of it)

- Bus pick-up and drop-off point for delegates staying at the WIT Manor Village / Tower Hotel

Main Building

- Registration - Exhibitions area - Tea and coffee breaks - Main Auditorium (Plenary venue) - Quiet rooms

FTG Rooms

- Children and Youth Programmes - Youth hangout room

Car Park

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Waterford City Map Please see the leaflets in your conference pack. You have received at registration a comprehensive map of Waterford City and information on local tourist attractions. We also advise you to use the internet as a resource or ask our helpful volunteers for any local knowledge or insight.

How to walk to WIT Manor Village Accommodation and the Tower Hotel? If you would like to walk between the Main Campus and WIT Manor Village Accommodation or the Tower Hotel, please note it is over a 1.5 kilometres to WIT Manor Village Accommodation, and 3 kilometres to The Tower Hotel. Having said that, they are all on one long road so there are few turns to make if you did decide to walk. Please feel free to also ask at Registration Desk for them to show you the walking route on a map. We will be arranging bus transfers to and from the conference venue every morning and evening of the conference. A local taxi service is also available at 00353 51 858585 (Rapid Cabs). Volunteers will be able to assist you with booking taxis and advise on prices to different locations.

Walking from WIT Main Campus to WIT Manor Village Accommodation

If you walk out of the Main Building (Building B) and onto the main road in front of the campus, turn left onto ‘Cork Road’. Follow the road as it veers to the left and after one kilometre, go straight through a roundabout to continue on the Cork Road. After another half a kilometre, WIT Manor Village Accommodation will be the left turn after the Imperial Gardens Chinese restaurant, Subway and a shop.

Walking from WIT Main Campus to the Tower Hotel

If you walk out of the Main Building (Building B) and onto the main road in front of the campus, turn left onto ‘Cork Road’. Follow the road as it veers to the left and after one kilometre, go straight through a roundabout to continue on the Cork Road. The road will continue to veer to the left and then straighten. Continue to walk for 2 kilometres. As a landmark, you will walk past the Waterford Crystal Centre on the right side of the road. When you reach the Quay (and will see the River), you will see The Tower Hotel as a large yellow building in a corner on the waters edge, on the right side of the street.

Daily Bus Transfers IFCO2014 has arranged bus transfers from WIT Manor Village Accommodation and the Tower Hotel every morning and evening. This starts with hourly bus transfers during registration on Tuesday, and then morning and evening bus transfers during the conference. For the social programme activities, we will arrange pick-ups from College Fields Apartments (WIT Main Campus), Manor Village Accommodation and the Tower hotel and also arrange return buses after every social programme event. We invite you to please take note of the signs in the reception area of your accommodation and the registration area of the conference for daily updates and please be punctual for bus departures.

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General Information Registration Registration will commence in the Main Atrium in Building B (Main Building) on Tuesday, 26thAugust from 12:00 midday until 18:00. Day delegates can register on the morning of Wednesday 27th or Thursday 28th between 08:15 and 08:50 in the same area. Here you will receive your identity badge, conference programme and information pack. During registration, you need to present your ID and the personal information of your children. Registrars will check your names in the pre-approved lists and will give every registered person materials and instructions for the conference. Presenters will be asked to provide a copy of their presentation if they have not already done this. They can also take this opportunity to view the room they will be presenting in.

Children’s and Youth Registration Desk During the registration every adult who has children with them registered for the Children’s programme, will be asked to review and sign a document specifying some rules, prepared by the Organising Committee. This document is an agreement to be reached about the rules that young people and children must obey during the conference in order to guarantee the safety of all participants and the children in particular. This is also an opportunity for children, young people and their guardians to meet some of their workshop facilitators and indeed the Youth Programme Coordinator Lacy Kendrick Burk and the Childcare Programme Co-ordinator Katie Cagney. The same registration times apply as the Adult Programme.

Exhibition Stands During the tea/coffee breaks and lunchtimes, delegates should feel free to browse the Exhibition Stands which are based within the Main Atrium outside of the Plenary Auditorium in Building B (Main Building). As these are conveniently located within the tea and coffee break area, this will allow you to gain information and chat with like-minded people as you enjoy a refreshing beverage. We have an exciting mix of both national and international agencies, who are keen to share their information and practice with you. This is a great way to explore what others are doing and make new connections or partnerships in your, or other countries.

IFCO Silent Auction

Room FO6 and F07 (near the Gallery Restaurant)

Those of you who have been to IFCO Conferences before are no doubt familiar with our IFCO Silent Auction. A silent auction is a variant of a charity auction. It is called a ‘silent auction’ because all the bids are written. While donors are bringing in items to donate for the auction, bidders place their bids in writing on bidding sheets put in front of the items. Every bid entered on the sheet must be higher than the previous bid. The highest bidder at the end of the auction buys the item.

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Donors can bring their items to the Registration Desk with them, where a volunteer will be on hand to either take their item from them, or show them to where the IFCO Silent Auction will be held. We invite IFCO members to donate items that may represent their country, or their culture, or what foster care or family means where they are from. The IFCO Silent Auction is open from 12:00 on Tuesday 26th August, until 17:30 on Thursday 28th August. Items can then be collected at the final coffee break on the final day (Friday, 29th August). Please ensure you bring your items with you as we cannot be responsible for sending them on afterwards. All of the money raised from the auction will go directly to support IFCO’s activities. The donors who bring in the items for the auction receive no part of the money. We look forward to receiving your generous entries for the now traditional IFCO Silent Auction. The more gifts we have, the better the Silent Auction will be!

IFCO Information Desk The IFCO Welcome/Information desk will operate from 08:15 to 18:00 on the 26th, 27th and 28th August and from 08:30 to 12:30 on Friday 29th August. This is located next to the Registration Desk in the Main Atrium in Building B (Main Building). General enquiries can be made at the Registration Desk or Information Desk with regard to the following information: • • • • • • • • • •

Registering for the conference and collecting your participant’s pack Queries relating to your registration and accommodation General information regarding the conference and venue Booking for a Social Programme / Networking Event Youth Tour(s) Booking a taxi Internet access Lost and found Becoming an IFCO member / Renewing membership Possible book of conference proceedings

If you need further information on any specific area please approach our volunteers who will be happy to help. They can be identified by their white t-shirts with conference logo and can direct you to the appropriate person to deal with your query. Otherwise, conference organisers, IFCO Board members and the IFCO secretariat will be delighted to assist in any way they can and they will be wearing identity badges with red coloured lanyards.

Conference Identity Badges Conference identity badges must be worn at all times. Your identity badge grants you access to the various elements of the conference including plenary and workshop rooms, lunches, breaks and the social programme. It is possible that you would be refused entry if you were not wearing your conference identity badge. The conference identity badges will be attached to colour-coded lanyards, which also serve to differentiate between delegates, volunteers, board members etc. This facilitates you in identifying volunteers or support staff in case you have a query. It will also serve to identify children and youth groups both on campus and if they go on trips.

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The colour codes for lanyards are as follows: • Blue lanyard: Adult programme, Day delegates, Accompanying persons • Green lanyard: Youth programme • Yellow lanyard: Children’s Programme • Red lanyard: Organising Committee, IFCO Board members, IFCO Secretariat and Volunteers

Meals and Refreshments Tea/Coffee breaks will be held outside of the Main Auditorium in Building B (Main Building) after each plenary session. Lunch during the Conference will be held at The Gallery Restaurant (Building D) between 12:30

and 13:45. If you have any special dietary requirements and have not already made these known, please do so immediately at the Registration Desk. Delegates who have children registered in the Children’s Programme, please remember to collect them before you go to lunch, as they will not be allowed leave the Children’s Programme without a guardian. Children are the guardian’s responsibility on Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes. On Friday they will be off campus and so do not need to be collected for lunch and will be supervised for their lunch break.

Dinner will be provided for those attending the Social Programme at the Gala dinner event on Wednesday 27th, beginning at 19.30 in the Tower Hotel (please see Social Programme description on p.17 for more information). On Thursday night, delegates will receive dinner vouchers upon arrival to Tramore town-more information will be provided on the night on how and where to redeem these vouchers.

Please note: the Day Delegate packages do not include participation in evening meals, Opening Reception nor Gala dinner. If you would like to enquire about purchasing tickets for these events, please ask at the Information and Registration desk in the Main Atrium (Building B).

Health and Safety/Health Insurance The Conference Organising Committee will not be responsible for any medical expenses, loss or accidents incurred during the conference. Participants are strongly advised to arrange their own personal insurance to cover medical and other expenses including accident or loss. It is recommended that citizens from the EU countries bring with them a current EHIC card.

‘Quiet Room’ The institute ‘Quiet Room’ is located on the C corridor in room C41 in Building B, upstairs from the Main Atrium. It is a special place providing space to relax and reflect, to be still and heal the spirit. All attendees are welcome in the ‘Quiet Room’. Among the reference books available for reading are reflections on bereavement and loss, eastern wisdom, world religions and faith development. The Institute also has a Muslim Prayer Room which is situated in Room W8, and attendees are also welcome to avail of this room. Please ask one of our volunteers if you need help locating these venues.

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Smoking Under Irish law, smoking is not permitted in any building on the WIT campus, public houses, restaurants, hotel lobbies and all enclosed buildings. Please ensure you go to the dedicated smoking areas, which are clearly signposted outside.

Medical Assistance / emergency numbers There is a Medical Centre on-site located between Building B and Building C. The opening hours are Monday – Friday, 09:15 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 17:00. • W.I.T. Medical Centre – 00353 51302873 • Nurse Geraldine Harrison – 00353 857739055 Please note we have written these including international access codes if you are phoning from an international phone.

Medical Emergency Numbers

• Caredoc (Out-of-hours medical doctor service) –00353 1850 334 999 • Waterford Regional Hospital – 00353 5184000 • Alternatively, should you require an ambulance please call 999 or 112

Non-Medical Emergency Numbers

• WIT Security Officer – 00353 879400888 • Garda Siochána (Police) – 00353 51305300 • The Samaritans (Confidential Listening Service) – (00353) 1850 609090

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Social Programme IFCO understands that in addition to learning theory, sharing best practice and gaining experience, it is important that delegates are provided with an opportunity to connect with each other and network in a more informal way. This is why the IFCO Conferences are notorious for their dynamic and fun social programmes. This year is no different as we have an exciting and interesting programme in store for you!

Tuesday 26th August 2014 – Opening Ceremony Our social programme kicks off on the very first day of the conference at the Opening Ceremony at 7pm in the Main Auditorium in Building B (Main Building). This will begin with an opening address and introductions from key speakers (see programme agenda for list). It will also be where the now infamous IFCO flag procession will take place. Children and young people attending the event will form a parade and show flags representing every country in attendance (over 30!), so make sure to look out for yours and cheer when you see it! After this, delegates are invited to make their way to the Dome Bar and Restaurant for refreshments and entertainment. You will be treated to a traditional Irish drink on arrival (a glass of Guinness or ‘Red Lemonade’ which is only made in Ireland) and enjoy some traditional Irish music by some local musicians. After this, children and young people from The Mulcahy – Bible School of Irish Dancers will perform some traditional Irish jigs and there will be a chance for you to join in, so go ahead and give it a try! It is guaranteed to be a great evening of ‘craic agus ceoil’.

Wednesday 27th August 2014 – Gala Dinner After the first day of plenaries and workshops is over, you will have no doubt already made new connections or strengthened existing ones and will be immersed in the IFCO atmosphere. Now it’s time to put on your glad rags (formal/national dress) and enjoy the traditional IFCO Gala dinner. The event begins at 7.30pm in the Tower Hotel for a drinks reception followed by a three course dinner and fantastic music by The Unusual Suspects. Put on some costumes and strike a funny pose at the Photo Booth which is generously being sponsored by Cleare Photography. So relax, enjoy and dance the night away!

Thursday 28th August 2014 – Trip to Tramore On the eve of the last day of the conference, what a better way to relax than a trip to the local seaside. Whether you want to lie on the beach, take a long walk to the sand dunes or along the bay, enjoy local amusements and arcades, play golf or try some adventure activities, Tramore is the ideal resort. It has something to offer every one of every age. The long rolling waves in Tramore attract swimmers of all ages and of course, surfers. Surf lessons and equipment are available locally as well as sea kayaking (see discoverireland.ie for more info on how to book). Enjoy a local must have of Dooley’s fish and chips (voucher will be given on the evening) and of course you can get a large 99 cone for desert at any of the local shops! • Please check the bus schedule for pick up and collection times/places • Please wear your conference identity badge to all social programme events • Please don’t forget your admission ticket to the Gala dinner (in your conference pack) • Please note that while children and youth under 18 are welcome to all of the Social Programme events, they are the responsibility of their parents/guardians.

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The 2014 Annual General Meeting of FCOI / IFCO The FCOI / IFCO Annual General Meeting will be held at the Waterford Institute of Technology (Main Auditorium, Building B, WIT Main Campus) in Waterford City, Ireland at 17:45 on Wednesday, 27th August 2014. FCOI / IFCO is a Registered UK Charity: 1081324 All paid up members are invited to attend and the business of the meeting will be to receive reports and discuss and vote on any resolutions that have been submitted, all in accordance with the Memorandum & Articles of Association. People who are not members are also welcome to attend as observers. There are no Board elections this year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the next elections will be at the November 2015 IFCO World Conference in Sydney, Australia.

AGM Meeting Agenda 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Welcome to FCOI / IFCO members & observers Apologies / Proxy votes received by August 20, 2014 Approval of the Minutes of the 2013 AGM in Osaka, Japan Presentation of the Annual Trustees' Report (1/4/2013 - 31/3/2014) Presentation & Approval of the Financial Statements (1/4/2013 - 31/3/2014) Appointment of Company Secretary and Auditors Closure of the formal business section of the AGM IFCO's future plans and conferences - presentation & informal discussion

IFCO MEMBERSHIP You may join or renew your IFCO membership at the IFCO Information Desk located beside the Conference Registration Desk (Building B, Main Building) or via the website: www.IFCO.info

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Networking Event Networking at conferences is just as important as learning new information or meeting like-minded people. Networking can take place during workshops, break times or during the social programme but as one of the final activities of the IFCO2014 conference, this is a chance to formalise new, or strengthen existing connections before we all go our separate ways. This activity is as useful as you make it, and the style of facilitation is fluid and in an open, shared space which means that you are encouraged to seek like-minded groups of people, whether from similar regions or similar organisations or sharing similar mind-sets or goals. Groups may also gather because of similar child protection systems or similar interests. The board of directors of IFCO will lead some of these discussions based on the strategic plan of IFCO and their own expertise or backgrounds, and other organic topics may come up. If you have an idea you would like to share or would like to partner with others on, this is your chance to pursue that concretely. You are welcome to approach IFCO board members to suggest topics during the course of the conference and we encourage you to be forward thinking.

Become a member today Become a new member of IFCO or renew your membership today and you can benefit from our exclusive Foster Care research and publications. We also offer all our members access to a discussion list where you can become a part of a global foster care network and share your thoughts with others. IFCO is a volunteer-based, non-profit organisation and registered UK charity company and as such, membership fees generate important funds that enable us to continue to grow our global network and remain operational. You would also benefit from access to preferential conference or delegate rates at all IFCO International and Regional Conferences as an IFCO member. An IFCO membership is valid for 12 months from the time you join. For example if you join on 1 July, your membership will be due for renewal on 30 June the next year. And if you join on 15 December your membership will be due for renewal on 30 November etc. Leaflets about Membership and IFCO application forms are available at the IFCO desk in Building B (Main Building) near the Registration desk. IFCO Board members or IFCO Secretariat will be on-hand to talk with you about the many benefits of being an IFCO member, whether it is as an individual or as an organisational member. You can also join by visiting our website where you can choose to pay your membership fee via credit card, PayPal or by direct bank-to-bank transfer: www.ifco.info/members-area/become-a-member.

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I Conference Programme

Schedule at a Glance TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST Day 4

09:00

10:00

09:00 - 10:30

PLENARY PLENARY SESSION SESSION II

PLENARY SESSION III

WORKSHOP SESSION V

Break

11:00 - 12:30

WORKSHOP SESSION I

WORKSHOP SESSION III

Networking Event / WORKSHOP SESSION VI

Lunch

11:00 11:00 - 12:30

12:00

13:00 12:00 - 18:00 14:00

Arrival, accommodation and registration

Commute

13:45 - 15:30

PLENARY SESSION II

PLENARY SESSION IV

14:00 - 16:00

15:00

Closing ceremony Break

Break

16:00

Break

17:00

16:00 - 17:30

WORKSHOP SESSION II

WORKSHOP SESSION IV

18:00 17:45 - 19:00 IFCO Annual General Meeting

19:00 19:00 - 21:00 20:00

Opening ceremony, welcome reception

17:45 - 21:00 Social programme and dinner

20:00 - late Gala Dinner

Conference Programme

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Adult Programme TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2014 Day 1 12:00 – 18:00

Arrival, accommodation and registration Building B, Main Atrium, Registration / Information Desk

19:00 – 21:00

Opening ceremony with welcome reception Building B, Main Auditorium followed by The Dome Bar, WIT Main Campus

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2014 Day 2 09:00 - 10:30

PLENARY SESSION I Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

Conference opening address: Volodymyr Kuzminskyi, IFCO President Jean Anne Kennedy and Danielle Douglas, IFCO board members and conference co-hosts Fred McBride, CEO, Tusla, Child and Family Agency (Ireland) Teresa Connolly, Chairperson, Irish Foster Care Association (Ireland) Wayne Dignam, Founder, Irish Care Leavers Network Keynote: P1-1 10:30 – 11:00

Considering the Future Potential of Foster Care as a Child Care Option Dr Geoffrey Shannon, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection (Ireland) Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

11:00 – 12:30

WORKSHOP SESSION I Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

W1-1

Professional Development - Ensuring Best Practice and the Rights of Young People Bernie Breen, Daffodil Care Services (Ireland)

W1-2

Emergency Placement Service out of Hours Providing Placements with Foster Carers and Supporting Lodging Carers in Dublin Carol Lander, Tusla and Orchard Children’s Services (Ireland)

W1-3

Foster Care – a Business, a Profession or Pure Emotion? Where Does the Truth Lie? Bulgaria’s Foster Care Experience Alexandar Milanov and Anna Galabova, National Association of Foster Care (Bulgaria)

W1-4

Foster Parent Recruitment Prof. Myrna McNitt, IFCO (USA)

W1-5

Making Foster Care a Community Culture Colin Chatten, Core Assets (UK); Marie Barlow and Rohana Reading, Fostering First Ireland

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I Conference Programme

W1-6

From Care to Care Leaver Network: Advocacy in Ireland Wayne Dignam, Irish Care Leavers Network (Ireland)

W1-7

Him or Them: Relationship Rupture in Kinship Care Jill Worrall and Shirley-Ann Chinnery, Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand)

W1-8-1

Rebuilding Family Life: Exploring the Experiences of Refugees Following Family Reunification in Ireland Susan Mackey, Nasc, Irish Immigrant Support Centre (Ireland)

W1-8-2

Children in Care and the Irish Immigration and Protection Systems Fiona Hurley, Nasc, Irish Immigrant Support Centre (Ireland)

12:30 – 13:45

Lunch Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

PLENARY SESSION II Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

Keynote: P2-1

Young Adult Care Leavers in the World of Work - How Foster Carers Can Support Entry to Work Prof. Robbie Gilligan, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and Dr Laura Arnau Sabates, UAB - Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain)

P2-2

Preventing the Separation of Children from Their Families in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Review of the Hope and Homes for Children ACTIVE Family Support Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003 - 2010 Dr Delia Pop, Hope and Homes for Children (UK)

P2-3

What Does This Child Feel, Need Want? Seeking Answers from Perspectives of Complex Trauma and Attachment Johnnie Gibson, Cornell University NY (USA)

15:30 – 16:00

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:30

WORKSHOP SESSION II Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

W2-1

Adoption of Children from Foster Care in Ireland - Which Way Forward? Pearl Doyle and Mairie Cregan, Tusla, Child and Family Agency (Ireland)

W2-2

Grown-up Children – How Children Become Foster Parents Hristo Naydenov and Yanko Dimitrov, National Association of Foster Care (Bulgaria)

W2-3

Team Fostering: Multidisciplinary Approach to Fostering Fred McBride and Mary Meyler, Tusla, Child and Family Agency (Ireland)

W2-4

Cultural Diversity in Alternative Care Hazel Finlay, Waterford Institute Of Technology (Ireland)

W2-5

Intervention and Family Support Dolores Martin, Daffodil Care Services (Ireland)

Conference Programme

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W2-6

Towards a Secure Transition to Independent Adulthood for Young People Growing Up in Care Mike Allen and Catherine Maher, Focus Ireland

W2-7

Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine: Current Social Challenges Vasylyna Dybaylo, Partnership for Every Child (Ukraine) and Andriy Chuprikov, SOS Children’s Village International Ukraine

W2-8-1

Exploring How to Achieve Affective Equality for Women and Children Out of Home Méabh Savage, Waterford Institute Of Technology (Ireland)

W2-8-2

Understanding Diversity in Gender and Sexuality in Children and Young People: “Born This Way” Suzanne Walsh, Waterford Institute Of Technology (Ireland)

17:45 – 19:00

IFCO Annual General Meeting Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

20:00 – late

Gala Dinner The Tower Hotel

THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST 2014 Day 3 9:00 – 10:30

PLENARY SESSION III Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

Keynote: P3-1

P3-2

P3-3 10:30 – 11:00

Model for Reform of Residential Child Care Institutions: Practical Experience of the EU Project Implementations in Kyrgyzstan Volodymyr Kuzminskyi, IFCO and Chris Rayment, Oxford Policy Management (UK) De-institutionalisation and Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care Stela Grigoras, Partnership for Every Child (Moldova) Sure Start: Care Leavers’ Integration Programme in Ukraine Vasylyna Dybaylo, Partnership for Every Child (Ukraine) Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

11:00 – 12:30

WORKSHOP SESSION III Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

W3-1

Assessing Your Suitability to Work with Children – Legal Dilemmas Neil van Dokkum, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

W3-2

Children, Young People and Families First: Tusla-National Model for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Dr Aisling Gillen, Anne Goodwin and Joan Dunne, Tusla, Child and Family Agency (Ireland)

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I Conference Programme

W3-3

Promoting Participation by Children: Listening to the Voice of the Child Freda McKittrick, Clare Deane, Aine Costello and Tim Stewart, Barnardos (UK)

W3-4

Issues, Approaches and Practices for a Generation of Virtually Connected Youth in Out-of-Home Care Robert Edwards, Anu Family Services and Michael Place, Mind The GaP (USA)

W3-5

‘Keeping Siblings Connected’ – The Importance of Maintaining Birth Family Links Brian Dignam and Fiona Murphy, Five Rivers Ireland

W3-6

The Limits of Foster Care – How Much Can We Expect from Foster Carers? Carmen Secareanu and Mairie Cregan, Aurelia Trust (Ireland)

W3-7

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families Christine Riggs, Fresh Start Fostering (Ireland)

W3-8-1

W3-8-2

W3-8-3

W3-9 12:30 – 13:45

Ensuring the Rights of the Child, and Family-based Services Catherine O’Donohoe, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (Ireland) Attitudes to Continuing Professional Development and Training for Social Sphere Practitioners - Areas for Future Action Aoife Prendergast, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, Dublin (Ireland) Tailoring Family Support Interventions to Suit the Needs of Individual Families in Crisis Louis O’Moore and Dolores Martin, Daffodil Care Services (Ireland) The Value of Learning Maeve Healy, Irish Foster Care Association (Ireland) Lunch Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

PLENARY SESSION IV Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

Keynote: P4-1

Formal and Informal Kinship Care: Its Location within the Alternative Care and Family Support Systems? Dr Valerie O’Brien, Unvieristy College Dublin (Ireland)

P4-2

Three Is a Crowd: The Fostering of a Relational Place from the Shadows Jim Cantwell, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

P4-3

Young People Leaving Care in Ireland – Outcomes, Experiences, Services and Policy Philip Mullan, Daffodil Care Services (Ireland)

15:30 – 16:00

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:30

WORKSHOP SESSION IV Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

Conference Programme

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W4-1

My Name Is Ellada: A Case Study Myrna McNitt, IFCO (USA)

W4-2

A Kinship Care Assessment Model: Widening Family and Professional Participation and Decision Making Dr Valerie O’Brien, University College Dublin (Ireland)

W4-3

More Foster Care: Is That Really Our Goal? Rene de Bot, Foster Care Netherlands

W4-4

Building the Qualities of a Holding Relationship in Foster Care Settings Jim Cantwell, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

W4-5

The Impact of Alienation on Children Frank Keating and Maria Ronin, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

W4-6

Improving Training Through a Competency-based Training Model Dr Judith Rycus, Institute for Human Services, Columbus, Ohio (USA)

W4-7-1

Sibling Rights: From Lip Service to Legislation. An Australian Perspective Trish McCluskey, Berry Street Victoria (Australia)

W4-7-2

Nearest and Dearest in Children’s Lives in Child Protection. Insights and Experience of Family Relationships in Child Protection in Finland Pia Lahtinen, Pesäpuu ry, Nationwide Child Welfare Association (Finland)

W4-8 17:45 – 22:00

Practising the Pause Program Derek McDonnell, Tusla, Child and Family Agency (Ireland) Social programme and dinner Trip to Tramore

FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST 2014 Day 4 9:00 – 10:30

WORKSHOP SESSION V Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

W5-1 W5-2

W5-3

W5-4-1

Going Back... The Experiences of Search and Reunion for Romanian Children Adopted Intercountry Mairie Cregan and Carmen Secareanu, University College Cork (Ireland) IFCO Networks: Creating the Global Village Myrna McNitt, IFCO (USA) Starting Foster Care in India: A Strategic and Sustainable Approach Vasundhra Sachdeva, ITM University (India) Foster Care Services Developed with the Participation of SOS Children’s Village International CEE/CIS - Overview of Existing Practices Ibolya Juhaszne Czegledy, SOS Children’s Village International CEE/CIS (Hungary)

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I Conference Programme

W5-4-2

Children’s Houses Ricard Calvo, Fundacio Accio Social Infancia (Spain)

W5-4-3

Innovative Approach of SOS Ukraine for the Best Interests of Ukrainian Children in Need Andriy Chuprikov, SOS Children’s Village International Ukraine

10:30 – 11:00 11:00 – 12:30

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

Networking Event / WORKSHOP SESSION VI Building A, Tourism and Leisure Building, WIT Main Campus

Networking Event

W6-1

Recognising and Responding to Child Abuse Dr Jennifer Yeager, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

W6-2

The Foster Family and Mediation Dr Sinead Conneely, Dr Roisin O’Shea, Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland)

12:30 – 13:45

Lunch Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 14:00

Commute to College Street

14:00 – 16:00

Closing Ceremony The Chapel, WIT College Street Campus

16:00 – 16:30

Break

Conference Programme

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Plenary Abstracts P1-1

Plenary SESSION I Considering the Future Potential of Foster Care as a Child Care Option

Presenter

Dr Geoffrey Shannon

Organisation Country

Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute plenary

Time

09:45-10:30

Dr Geoffrey Shannon is the current Special Rapporteur on Child Protection. Dr Shannon has been selected by the European Expert Organising Committee as the Irish expert member of the Commission on European Family Law. He is the Chairman of the Adoption Authority of Ireland and the author of Child Law, a major work of over 1,400 pages on child law. Dr Shannon is the editor of the Irish Journal of Family Law and has written extensively on national and international family and child law issues.

The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20, 1989 signposted a new era for foster care internationally. Moreover, the last decade has seen an upsurge of interest in foster care at a domestic level. This paper considers the future potential of foster care as a child care option, having regard to international and domestic developments.

P2-1

In 2010, Dr Shannon was appointed by the Minister for Children along with Norah Gibbons to conduct a review of 196 children who have died in the care of the Irish state in the last ten years. Dr Shannon is the recipient of the Canon Maurice Handy Award for the period January 2006 to December 2007. He is also the recipient of an Award by the Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Contribution to Children. Dr Shannon was presented with the Special Merit Award at the 2013 Irish Law Awards.

Plenary SESSION II Young Adult Care Leavers in the World of Work - How Foster Carers Can Support Entry to Work

Presenter

Prof. Robbie Gilligan

Organisation

Country

School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin Ireland

Co-presenter

Dr Laura Arnau Sabates

Organisation Country

UAB - Autonomous University of Barcelona Spain

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute plenary

Time

13:45-14:30

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Work is crucial to social inclusion - it offers income, but also structure, meaning, identity and social connections. What can we learn from young adult care leavers who have entered the world of work? What and who helped them? What did foster carers (or residential carers) do? What may be lessons for supporting other young people in care and young adult care leavers? This paper presents findings from an international study of a sample of care leavers in both Ireland and Catalonia (Spain).

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I Conference Programme

Robbie Gilligan is Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, at Trinity College Dublin where he also serves as Associate Director (and co-founder) of the Children’s Research Centre, and co-ordinator of the MSc in Child Protection and Welfare. He holds visiting appointments as Extraordinary Professor at the Optentia Research Programme in North West University, South Africa, and as Research Fellow at SFI – The Danish National Centre or Social Research. He is a member of the Board of the European Scientific Association for Residential and Family Care for Children and Adolescents. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the journals, Child Abuse and Neglect, Child and Family Social Work, Child Indicators Research, European Journal of Social Work, International Journal of Child and Family Welfare

P2-2

and of the Advisory Boards of the journals, Children and Society and Adoption and Fostering. In his teaching and research, he draws on his experience as a social worker, foster carer and youth worker. He has published extensively in relation to the needs and experiences of children and young people in public care. His publications include: Promoting Resilience — Supporting children and young people who are in care, adopted or in need, Second Edition (British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering, 2009) and Education of Children in Care in Ireland: An Exploratory Study (co-authored with Merike Darmody, Lean McMahon, Joanne Banks) (Office of the Ombudsman for Children, 2013). Robbie is on Twitter @ RobbieGilligan

Plenary SESSION II Preventing the Separation of Children from Their Families in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Review of the Hope and Homes for Children ACTIVE Family Support Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003 - 2010

Presenter

Dr Delia Pop

Organisation Country

Director of Programmes, Hope and Homes for Children UK

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

14:30-15:00

Hope and Homes for Children has been implementing ACTIVE Family Support in Sarajevo Canton in BiH since 2003. The program consists of two elements: the prevention of separation of children from their parents as the primary focus, and the reintegration of separated children from institutions back into their biological families. This unique and holistic program is tailored to the individual needs of each child and family and it is built on the following core values: partnership, respect, inclusion, sustainability and the best interest of the child. Today there is consensus that institutional care is simply not compatible with a human rightsbased approach, it does not serve the best interest of the child and does not recognise the unique needs of individuals. Moreover, it does not include parents and communities; on the contrary it builds barriers and leads to isolation and stigma.

Conference Programme

Without a loving family environment and strong, healthy attachments, children’s intellectual, emotional, physical and neurological development is delayed. Dr Delia Pop is the Director of Programmes at Hope and Homes for Children (HHC), an international charity based in the UK. After qualifying as a medical doctor from the University of Medicine and Pharmacology in Cluj, Romania, she worked for the Maramures Child Protection Authority in Romania, as the Director of Alternative Residential Services. From 2001-2003, Dr Pop worked for HHC Romania as Director of Development, before becoming National Director. During this time she managed deinstitutionalisation projects across Romania. In 2004 she joined HHC UK as Head of Development, managing national programmes in Romania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Africa, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Eritrea. She also assisted with the development of HHC’s programmes in Moldova, Sudan and Ukraine. She became Director of Programmes in 2007. Dr Pop’s experience has involved the development of national guidelines for deinstitutionalisation and the creation of national strategies for childcare reform in eight countries across Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. She is coauthor of ‘De-institutionalisation of Children’s Services in Romania’, published by UNICEF in 2004, ‘IMPACT’, a custom curriculum for providing support for children and adults with special needs, published in 2011 and ‘Preventing the separation of children from their families in Bosnia and Herzegovina’, published in 2012.

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P2-3

Plenary SESSION II What Does This Child Feel, Need Want? Seeking Answers from Perspectives of Complex Trauma and Attachment

Presenter

Mr Johnnie Gibson

Organisation Country

Consultant / Instructor, Cornell University NY USA

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

15:00-15:30

This ‘in the moment’ assessment framework trains carers, and all involved directly and indirectly with children to develop an attitude of thoughtful intention based on the following questions. What am I feeling? What does this child feel, need and want? How is the environment impacting the current situation? What is my best response? This presentation will draw from the fields of complex trauma and attachment theory and will present the concept of developmental relationships as the key ‘active ingredient’ in helping children and in helping each other as adults, to better care for vulnerable children, transition and the adults who provide professional development support.

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families (TCIF) is designed to equip organisations and all their staff and carers to prevent children’s challenging behaviour and to respond therapeutically when challenging behaviour or crisis behaviour does occur. TCIF originates from the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University, NY. TCIF is an integrated system made up of five equally important components; a modular, skills based, training curriculum; leadership and organisational support; clinical participation; documentation and critical incident review; supervision and post crisis support.

Johnnie Gibson is an Independent Social Worker and Trainer. He is a faculty member of the Residential Child Care Project at Cornell University, New York. He is based in Donegal, Ireland. He has 20 years experience in residential child care as direct care worker and team leader. He has almost as many years experience as trainer / consultant. He provides direct support to children in foster care. He claims one strength as a disseminator of others people’s original theorising and research. He is passionate in his acceptance of Kurt Lewin’s belief ‘that there is nothing as practical as good theory. He is a husband, father and grandfather. He relaxes by working with wood on a Union Graduate lathe!

One part of the training curriculum is a framework for assessing ‘in the moment’ interactions with children when they are distressed; when they need adults the most but when they push good intentions away.

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P3-1

Plenary SESSION III Model for Reform of Residential Child Care Institutions: Practical Experience of the EU Project Implementations in Kyrgyzstan

Presenter

Dr Volodymyr Kuzminskyi

Organisation

President, IFCO

Country

Ukraine

Co-presenter

Mr Chris Rayment

Organisation

Oxford Policy Management

Country

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

09:00-09:30

This session presents a model that has been developed for planning the transformation of child care institutions in the Kyrgyz Republic. The model proposes the development of community-based services with a particular emphasis on preventive services and gatekeeping as a major driving force for the reform of child care institutions. The model illustrates that any shift towards an approach that focuses on the introduction of communitybased services cannot be considered without the development of an enabling environment which is necessary to underpin, sustain and continually improve service delivery. This includes enabling environment would address key issues including public attitudes towards residential child care institutions, national monitoring systems, legislation/regulation, governance and management, workforce profile/development (including the role of social work) and the management and planning of physical and financial resources. The ongoing EU funded project ‘Technical Assistance to the Sector Policy Support Programme – Social Protection and PFM – Kyrgyzstan’, implemented by Oxford Policy Management (OPM), has been working with the Ministry of Social Development to develop optimisation plans for selected residential child care institutions. The purpose of the optimisation planning can be best understood as responding to a number of key questions: What to do with the children? What to do with the institution staff?

Conference Programme

What to do with buildings (land) and other infrastructure? What services should be in the community in order to prevent child separation and ensure family-based care? The experience of the project is clearly showing that the deinstitutionalisation process, even at the level of just one of the institutions, is very challenging. A key challenge facing decisionmakers and social sector professionals involved in the transformation of residential child care institutions in the Kyrgyz Republic at this point in time is to understand the importance of interagency cooperation in order for the implementation of optimisation plans for the selected institutions to be successful. Volodymyr Kuzminskyi has been President of IFCO since July 2011. He also works for Oxford Policy Management as a staff consultant and, amongst other work is currently engaged as a key expert on the EU funded project ‘Technical Assistance to the Sector Policy Support Programme – Social Protection and PFM – Kyrgyzstan’. Volodymyr holds a PhD in Planning, Management and Regulation of Economy as well as an MA in the Management of Organisations and has been a pivotal player at the forefront of reforms in children’s policy and social services in Ukraine over the past 10-15 years. For a number of years, Volodymyr was Country Director of EveryChild Ukraine. Volodymyr has extensive experience providing technical assistance and consultancy to governments, most recently in Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, Armenia, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan and others on social services development and child welfare reform issues. He is the author of more than 25 publications addressing contemporary issues in the social and economic fields. A former member of the IFCO Board, Chris Rayment worked in the NGO sector for almost 15 years before joining Oxford Policy Management (OPM) in 2009 where he manages the social care services portfolio. Chris has been involved as an advisor and project manager in the reform and development of social care policy and practice in a number of countries of Central/South East Europe and the former Soviet Union since the late 1990s, with particular focus on children and families. Alongside a range of other projects, Chris holds overall responsibility for directing the delivery of technical assistance provided by OPM and its partners through EU funded ‘Technical Assistance to the Sector Policy Support Programme – Social Protection and PFM – Kyrgyzstan’ project which is the spotlight for this presentation.

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P3-2

Plenary SESSION III De-institutionalisation and Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care

Presenter

Dr Stela Grigoras

Organisation Co-presenter

President, Partnership Every Child Mrs Irina Spivacenco

Country

Moldova

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

09:30-10:00

Stela Grigoras is the President of Partnerships for Every Child (P4EC) NGO in Moldova. She holds a PhD in sociology in the field of Children and Family Social Protection with over 13 years of experience in leading the implementation of child care reform projects in Moldova. During April 2010 and November 2011, Mrs. Grigoras was a member and vice-president of the Ad-hock Advisory Group on childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights and social services of the Council of Europe. During 2002-2009 Stela was an active IFCO board member where she has also held the positions of Vice-president and President during 2006-2009. Stela is also a member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and the National Society of Social workers, one of the founders of the Moldovan Alliance of NGOS working in the field of Child and Family Protection.

for

Conference participants will have the opportunity to learn from Moldovan experts about their experiences with the deinstitutionalisation of the care systems for children, or the shift from institutional care to family-based care. Deinstitutionalisation is a complex process involving much more than closing down largescale institutions and moving children to family settings. It involves the development of a range of systems and services aimed at preventing child-family separation, caring for children in family-based alternative care setting, transforming the residential care for children, strengthening mainstream educational system to provide individualized support to deinstitutionalised children and children with special educational needs in order to prevent child-family separation due to educational reasons. This reform occurs within a framework of new policies, laws and regulations, shifts in social norms, reorganization of financial and human resources and the establishment of new regulatory systems.

Daniela Mamaliga is the Head of the Programme Department at P4EC and holds a Master Degree in Social Communication and Project Management. Daniela has a significant expertise in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of child care system reforms. Daniela is a member of ISPCAN and the National Society of Social Workers. Irina Spivacenco is the Project Manager at P4EC, holds a degree in Business Administration. Irina is an experienced professional in developing child welfare services and capacity building in child and family social services provision. Irina has been directly involved in the development of Foster Care service throughout the Republic of Moldova.

Presenters will provide information on the deinstitutionalization process in Moldova, identify challenges and highlight specific approaches taken to support national and local authorities to ensure quality support for children and their families in this process.

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P3-3

Plenary SESSION III Sure Start: Care Leaversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Integration Programme in Ukraine

Presenter

Ms Vasylyna Dybaylo

Organisation Country

Director, Partnership for Every Child Ukraine

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

10:00-10:30

Around 5,000 young people are leaving care in Ukraine every year, but none of the governmental programmes or agencies hold responsibility for them. The government provides additional cash benefits until the young person reach the age of 23 and only if the young person goes to study at the university. Otherwise the benefits end at the age of 18. There is so called paradox of care â&#x20AC;&#x201C; until the age of 18 too many people and too many agencies take care of young people in care. An extensive care is provided especially for those young people living in residential institutions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their beds are done, their food is prepared, their clothes are washed, their rooms are cleaned. And when the day of leaving the institution comes nobody thinks that all those prepared and settled things will not exist anymore. And nobody teach and prepare young people for their independent life after the institutions.

The purpose of this paper is to present the achievements of Sure Start programme in Ukraine as well as to discuss existing challenges and future developments in creating a comprehensive system of support for young people leaving care in Ukraine. Vasylyna Dybaylo, Director of Partnership for Every Child in Ukraine, graduated the MS Programme on Social Development Practice of London Metropolitan University and holds BS Degree in Political Science. Over 12 years of project management experience in social policy project design, development and implementation; project management experience including large scale projects focusing on child care reform, monitoring of child rights implementation; civil society development; management of consultancy projects for international organisations; in-depth knowledge of existing international instruments and indices relating to child care and social projection in Ukraine; in-depth knowledge of NGO sector in Ukraine. Ms. Dybaylo is playing an active role the process of child care, child protection and social services systems transformation in Ukraine as well as in other CIS countries including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

To change the situation and to make young people be prepared for their life after care In 2010 International Charity Partnership for Every Child in cooperation with Swiss Foundation of International Social Services with the funding and support from Swiss Development Cooperation and Canton Geneva. The main purpose of the project was to develop a model of social and professional integration for independent life for children out-of -home care in Ukraine. Around 300 young people from Kyiv oblast has benefited from well-planned social support programme and around 500 young people from Ukraine participated in the youth training programme on developing life skills and preparing for independent life.

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Plenary SESSION IV Formal and Informal Kinship Care: Its Location within the Alternative Care and Family Support Systems?

Presenter

Dr Valerie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien

Organisation

Country

College Lecturer, School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

45-minute plenary

Time

13:45-14:30

Formal kinship care is now used by statutory agencies to meet the needs of children. Informal kinship care, on the other hand, is an age-old tradition and used by families in times of need and crisis. However, informal care and the pathways between it and formal care has remained under-analysed largely in family & child policy. There is, however, evidence to suggest that both sets of kin carers are underresourced and under-supported, albeit in different ways. Yet, it is known that extended family members are often willing to extend themselves to an enormous degree to protect and to provide for vulnerable children in their network. The research surrounding family group conferencing helps to throw light on how this practice is occurring. It is contended that the trends, practices, gaps and paradoxes surrounding the intersection between formal and informal kinship care need to be understood more if kinship care is to continue to meet the needs of children. This paper based on research explores the interplay between formal and informal kinship care against a backdrop of what is occurring in the foster care system.

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Dr Valerie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien is a College Lecturer at the School of Applied Social Science at University College Dublin and is an Associate at Clanwilliam Institute, Dublin. She is a social worker, systemic psychotherapist and supervisor. She is currently a member of a number of Boards : The Irish Foster Care Association, Social Workers in Foster Care (IASW); Family Therapy Association of Ireland and Irish Council of Psychotherapy. Previously, she served for 12 years on the Irish Adoption Board (1998 -2010). She has a particular interest in action based research and has been to the forefront in aiding numerous developments in the child welfare system in Ireland. Her main areas of research interest are family group conferencing, kinship care and adoption practice and policy and she has published widely in these areas. Clinically, she works predominantly with complex blended families (kinship, foster adoption, reformed) and consults on complex multi-party cases. She can be contacted at Valerie.obrien@ucd.ie

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Plenary SESSION IV Three Is a Crowd: The Fostering of a Relational Place from the Shadows

Presenter

Mr Jim Cantwell

Organisation Country

Lecturer, Waterford Institute of Technology Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

14:30-15:00

Jim Cantwell is a practitioner with a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies and an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. He has worked full time in the residential sector with young people for 20 + years and joined WIT as a lecturer in 2007. He works in private practice in psychotherapy in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland working generally with adolescents and adults.

Use a perspective and reflect upon foster care. It is a service, an intervention, a policybased response to childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and child protection issues. However, collectively when all these are delivered it is through a relationship system that clients experience service. Foster care has a particular challenge with this delivery mechanism of relationship system. The challenge is that a previous relational model has already delivered a service for clients. But there are understandings to help the foster carer, and these understandings can be translated into tools. Relationships have been extensively considered from a research perspective. Attachment theory contributes a wonderful sense of the bond forged between adult and child (Bowlby, 1979). And Winnicott (1990) has explored the process of a holding quality that can be generated within relationships. In summary holding is established in a relationship or environment where someone speaks and understands your language, in an environment that adapts to your needs and meets you where you exist at any given time. In a study on the exploration of the holding qualities within relationships between adults and children, 13 parents from a variety of backgrounds explored their own parenting styles for qualities they can link to Winnicottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holding concept. Can the ability to create a holding quality in relationships offer a pathway to foster carers to support the children in their care?

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Plenary SESSION IV Young People Leaving Care in Ireland – Outcomes, Experiences, Services and Policy

Presenter

Mr Philip Mullan

Organisation Country

Operations Manager, Daffodil Care Services Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute plenary

Time

15:00-15:30

Philip Mullan completed his Bachelor’s degree in applied social studies at WIT in 2009 from there he went to the University of Limerick where he completed a Masters of Sociology (applied social research). Following the completion of his studies in Limerick Philip began to work as a Social Care worker with young people in residential settings. As Philip worked within this field he began to become aware of the struggles faced by young people as they prepare to leave care and make the transition to independence. From these experiences Philip decided to embark upon a PhD project that would examine the experiences and outcomes of care leavers in Ireland. Philip began his Ph.D. studies in September 2012 within the Department of Applied Social Studies in the National University of Ireland Maynooth supervised by Prof Maurice Devlin. Philip was able to secure funding for this project from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with additional funding and support from Daffodil Care Services.

Kelleher, Kelleher & Corbett (2000) completed the first and to date only large-scale national research project on care leavers in Ireland. They found that: “many of the young people in the study were characterised by despair, hopelessness and chronic social instability”. Numbers of young people in care have been increasing since 1989, 2756 until now with more than 6000. The study has 3 central questions: 1) What are the outcomes for young people leaving care in Ireland today and how do these compare with those described in the original study? 2) What major changes have taken place in the Irish care and aftercare systems since the full implementation of the 1991 Child Care Act in terms of social policy analysis? 3) What challenges face the Irish aftercare system today and how might these be responded to? International research has shown that care leavers suffer high levels of social exclusion due to social and personal disadvantages encountered both within the care system and having left the care system. To aid this project’s understanding of the outcomes experienced by care leavers the concepts of social capital and social network theory are applied at the micro level. By examining the care leavers transition from care to independence through the theoretical lens of social capital and social network theory, this study will step back from the notion of the care leaver as a product of the care system and instead view the care leaver as an agency laden social actor.

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Workshop Abstracts W1-1

WORKSHOP SESSION I Professional Development - Ensuring Best Practice and the Rights of Young People

Presenter

Ms Bernie Breen

Organisation Country

Operations Manager, Daffodil Care Services Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Historically, young people in Irish society were treated with a ‘seen and not heard’ attitude which ultimately led to the compromise of their care and good practise among carers. With the implementation of the Child Care Act 1991, National Standards 2001, Children’s First 2001, contemporary society seeks to promote and protect the rights of the child and recognises the importance of early intervention in the provision of family based services. SCTI advocate for the promotion of ongoing professional development, with an emphasis on early intervention, recognising the individual needs and rights of the young person. Aims/Objectives: • Explore issues facing families in relation to breakdown • Address issues relating to the individual young person e.g. options, rights, emotional wellbeing and risk taking behaviours • Discuss therapeutic practices and relevance of ongoing training and development for carers

• Issues facing foster carers and residential staff when young people enter the care system • React or Respond? Recognising pain based behaviour and managing presenting behaviour in a therapeutic way • Discuss the fundamental value of ongoing development/training to promote and deliver quality care in foster families and carers Bernie Breen, B.A. (Hons) is a graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology in Applied Social Care. Bernie qualified with Cornell University, Colorado, U.S.A, in March 2011, as an Associate Trainer in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and secured her Professional Certification in March 2014. Bernie is currently employed by Social Care Training Ireland as a TCI Trainer, Fetac accredited Occupational First Aid, Manual Handling and People Moving Trainer and additionally delivers Child Protection Training along with workshops in Conflict Resolution and Leadership and Management skills. Bernie has worked in the area of residential social care for thirteen years with children and over 18's in various roles, including managing an Aftercare Service for young vulnerable adults leaving a care setting. Bernie has extensive experience in working with ethnic groups and has worked for nine years with the Travelling Community in a social care setting.

Proposed structure: • Discuss cycles of family breakdown • Explore societal factors/stressors threatening the welfare of the family • Examine early interventions for prevention of family breakdown • Explore options and issues arising where breakdown is unavoidable

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W1-2

WORKSHOP SESSION I Emergency Placement Service out of Hours Providing Placements with Foster Carers and Supporting Lodging Carers in Dublin

Presenter

Ms Carol Lander

Organisation Country

Tusla and Orchard Children’s Services Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Desired outcomes of workshop: • Illustrate to audience the benefits of placement choice for young people in crises • Raise awareness of benefits of risk assessments and matching placements • Raise awareness of carers perspective of emergency placements • Raise awareness of young people’s perspective of emergency placements • Illustrate the benefit of joint working between agencies in providing children’s services

We intend to present details of how the service evolved and how it work s in practice. We would like to create a participative workshop and we intend to involve our carers and staff in the presentation and if possible we want to invite a young person who has used the service to join our presentation.

W1-3

WORKSHOP SESSION I Foster Care – a Business, a Profession or Pure Emotion? Where Does the Truth Lie? Bulgaria’s Foster Care Experience

Presenter

Mr Alexandar Milanov

Organisation

Expert, National Association of Foster Care Mrs Anna Galabova

Co-presenter

Country

Volunteer Partnership Coordinator, National Association of Foster Care Bulgaria

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Organisation

This workshop will examine some cases from Bulgaria’s struggle and try to find a solution to the dilemma of how foster care can be accepted by society as a profession with inherent rules, standards and opportunities. The problems of birth families in the foster care process will also be discussed during this session. Alexandar Milanov is an expert in the National Association of Foster Care and a social worker. He has been contributing toward developing the foster care system in Bulgaria by aiding in the communication and coordination of the process.

Foster care in Bulgaria is a new method of protecting children at risk. Despite ten years worth of foster care experience, it is still not understood by the whole of society. Foster care is viewed in two extreme ways – either as a noble gesture or as a business.

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Anna Galabova has a Bachelor’s degree in Cross-Cultural Business Administration. Anna is currently helping the National Foster Care Association in Bulgaria to develop partnerships with international organizations and networks dedicated to foster care around the world. Her goal is to acquaint the organisation with good international practices and incorporate some of them into the foster care system at home.

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W1-4

WORKSHOP SESSION I Foster Parent Recruitment

Presenter

Prof. Myrna McNitt

Organisation Country

International Organisation USA

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Foster

Care

This session will assist foster care agencies, associations, and other stakeholders in understanding the techniques for successful recruitment. The session will provide an evidence based framework to assist participants in conceptualizing recruitment as part of a holistic model of practice. Through active engagement participants will: • Understand the theory base and best practices used in successful recruitment as part of a model of practice • Help participants to develop techniques for successful recruitment • Participants will be encouraged to actively participate in the session by sharing examples of their recruitment strategies • Help participants to make the connection between deinstitutionalization and recruitment of foster carers.

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Myrna L. McNitt, ACSW, LSW, MSW has been a foster and kinship parent. She has taught social work at Grand Valley State University and Dominican University. Myrna has coauthored book chapters on foster parent recruitment and retention, policy issues in international child protection, and sexual abuse in foster care as well as many evaluation reports related to her international work in foster care. Myrna has extensive experience in direct practice in juvenile justice, child protection, foster care and adoption in the USA as well as Kenya and England. In England she was the clinical team leader providing foster care services through the use of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care to severely disturbed adolescents. Myrna has been a presenter at many IFCO conferences. Myrna is on the Board of Trustees of the International Foster Care Organization as the chair of the Training, Conferences, and Projects Committee. For IFCO Myrna has provided consultation and training in Japan, Malta, Ireland, England, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Ecuador, Slovakia, Romania, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Hungary, and Canada. She has provided consultation in Hungary, Kosovo and Azerbaijan working with international non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and national ministries to introduce foster care services.

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W1-5

WORKSHOP SESSION I Making Foster Care a Community Culture

Presenter

Mr Colin Chatten

Organisation Country

Foster Carer, IFCO Treasurer, Core Assets UK

Co-presenters

Ms Rohana Reading,

Colin Chatten: “I am a foster carer first and foremost, this is my calling. I am a national Carer Representative for an international children’s services company, being instrumental in company policy. I have designed and delivered training, workshops and presentations to staff and carers throughout the UK. I am a foster carer consultant with Oxford University; I am currently assisting with research projects into motivations to foster and peer influence and support within foster care communities. I received a BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature from University of Liverpool.”

Mrs Marie Barlow Organisation

Fostering First Ireland

Country When

Ireland Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

This is to relate some of the realities of becoming a foster carer in various countries and communities. Different meanings may be attributed to foster care but the end aim must remain the same; best outcomes for the child / young person. Many foster carers do not fully understand the impact that the fostering task will have on their lives. Professional foster care means that carers can never ‘clock off’; they are always on call and must live most of their lives professionally. This needs to be experienced to be understood and usually only other foster carers can truly empathise and therefore best assist a carer in crisis. When a carer is in crisis, a child is in crisis. That is what this is all about. If a new foster carer is lucky they will be afforded the opportunity to be in contact with experienced foster carers who can assist with what might be thought of as ‘stupid questions’ (in fostering there is no such thing as a stupid question). New carers can then choose which examples of practice best suit their own strengths and weaknesses and proceed along their own fostering journey thus. The element that needs to be worked on in foster care is the responsibility of experienced, confident carers to put back into the fostering community and mentor new carers until they are confident enough to stand on their own. We will discuss this and invite ideas through group exercises etc to improve understanding and share best practice. www.ifco.info

Rohana Reading is Assistant Director with Fostering First Ireland, a non-statutory fostering agency. She has been a social worker for nearly 40 years and has worked in residential, child protection and fostering roles as well as being a guardian ad litem in the UK. Rohana and her husband have also been foster carers with the HSE. Rohana is on the Board of Directors of the Irish Foster Care Association and has a particular interest in working to enhance the value placed on foster carers in our society. Marie Barlow grew up in a very small family with one sister and parents who “over parented” her with much love and attention. I was a very ambitious child and worked very hard in school. I wanted to become an architect from the age of twelve. I had absolutely no interest in getting married or having children, I was totally absorbed in achieving my goal. I qualified as an architect in 1983. There was a recession at that time also, so I worked for one year with a firm of architects in Loughrea in county Galway. I opened up my own architectural practice the next year. I fell in love with my now husband Jimmy and all changed. We have eight children. I learned all about parenting from trial and error mostly - no handbook. Eight years ago we became foster parents with Fostering First Ireland, when our youngest child went to school. Fostering is an adventure -an entirely different experience from parenting your own birth children. We find it challenging and rewarding. We are greatly supported in our role as foster parents by our fostering organisation who provide excellent training and encouragement. We are very lucky to live on an organic farm and this has a very therapeutic effect on our foster children as we work closely to nature in an environmentally friendly way. I enjoy the unpredictability of the ever changing tides of fostering, sure I sometimes miss the smell of concrete but the work I am doing now is more fulfilling - I feel fully alive as a foster parent.

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W1-6

WORKSHOP SESSION I From Care to Care Leaver Network: Advocacy in Ireland

Presenter

Mr Wayne Dignam

Organisation Country

Founder, Irish Care Leavers Network Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

This workshop will give delegates an insight into the perspectives of a foster child and care leaver, through the experiences and reflections of Wayne Dignam, a care leaver. Wayne will discuss his care experience of foster homes in Ireland, challenges he faced, and techniques he developed to work his way through his past. Through his insight he will share how he managed to attain four university degrees, run a successful business and most importantly, face up to the challenge of being married with three children when coming from a background of being fostered.

Wayne Dignam grew up in foster care and residential care from the age of three. At eight he was placed in a long term foster home with a family in north Dublin. He is married with three children and runs a business development consultancy, employing seven people. Wayne has served on the Board of the Irish Foster Care Association and is currently a Board member of Blue Box, a creative learning and psychotherapy centre for children who suffer from traumatic experiences. In June 2014 Wayne set up the Irish Care Leavers Network, a network for care leavers in Ireland, and membership is growing by the day. Wayne is an advocate for children’s rights, and campaigned for the successful introduction of children’s rights into the Irish Constitution in 2013.

Wayne will also provide a background to the children’s rights referendum for which he campaigned in 2012, and what difference it has made in Ireland for foster children and how it compares to other countries. Finally, Wayne will discuss the impact of the Irish Care Leavers Network, which Wayne founded in 2014, being Ireland’s first network for care leavers. This will be an interactive workshop, allowing delegates to share experiences and insights.

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W1-7

WORKSHOP SESSION I Him or Them: Relationship Rupture in Kinship Care

Presenter

Ms Jill Worrall

Organisation

Consultant, Auckland University of Technology Ms Shirley-Ann Chinnery

Co-presenter

Country

Lecturer, Auckland University of Technology New Zealand

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Organisation

Jill Worrall MSW is a retired senior lecturer in Social Work and now an honorary research associate at Massey University Auckland New Zealand. She has undertaken several large scale research projects in kinship care, is well-published and written a handbook for kin carers. She is currently completing her PhD in Public Policy. Shirley-Ann Chinnery is a lecturer in Social Work at Auckland University and currently completing her PhD in Social Work, examining the role of attachment in Foster Care placement. Shirley Ann has been a front-line Care and Protection social worker.

Kinship care for children in need of care and protection is now the first option to be sought in many jurisdictions internationally. New Zealand was the first country to legalise this practice. Research undertaken in New Zealand is now showing some interesting trends, particularly among the grandparent kin carers in regard to the changing of family dynamics. Using case study material, this workshop discusses the impact of placement on the family system and calling on both family systems theory and attachment theory we examine the expected role of women and possible social work interventions to assist in family stability.

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W1-8-1

WORKSHOP SESSION I Rebuilding Family Life: Exploring the Experiences of Refugees Following Family Reunification in Ireland

Presenter

Ms Susan Mackey

Organisation Country

Researcher, Nasc, Irish Immigrant Support Centre Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Susan Mackey holds a Masters in Social Work, HDip Social Policy and BSc (Hons) from University College Cork. Having completed her thesis on female refugees and family reunification she is now undertaking an Employment based PhD at Nasc on the intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare (supported by the Irish Research Council). Susan has been working at Nasc since 2006 in the areas of finance and funding and previously worked as an English language teacher (TEFL) at the centre. She has a particular interest in the areas of immigration, child protection and welfare.

This session looks at research carried out by Nasc and UCC in 2013 which explores female refugeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences of family reunification and integration in Ireland. It aims to enhance understanding of the issues faced by refugees and identifying appropriate support for family members. The accounts of women in this study suggest that migration, reunification and integration impacted them significantly in terms of disruption and change in their lives and in their relationships with family members. While all reflected beneficial effects of reunification, most participants recounted relationship difficulties arising for family members over time. Where some overcame these challenges, relationship breakdown occurred in other cases. These experiences appeared to be impacted by structural and social challenges and the availability of supports. A number of recommendations are made for best practice to help prevent family breakdown and support refugee families following reunification. The presentation will also explore issues arising from this research that feed into current PhD work being undertaken by Nasc. Supported by the Irish Research Council, this looks at children and families from non-EU backgrounds and their interactions with the Child Protection and Welfare system. This seeks to open up discussion with foster carers,families and practitioners on the experiences of immigrant children in care,issues surrounding their needs and best practice responses.

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W1-8-2

WORKSHOP SESSION I Children in Care and the Irish Immigration and Protection Systems

Presenter

Ms Fiona Hurley

Organisation

Country

Legal Information Officer, Nasc, Irish Immigrant Support Centre Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Fiona Hurley holds a Bachelor of Law degree (BCL) and a Master of Law (LLM) from University College Cork. Having completed her thesis on Judicial Deference and the Protection of Minority Rights, Fiona has a particular interest in international law and especially in the protection of minority rights. She completed an internship in the Nasc Legal Information Clinics in 2010 and was subsequently appointed Legal Information and Capacity-Building Officer. Fiona also has special responsibility for capacity building. In that role, Fiona provides training on immigration law to Citizens Information Centres, NGOs and other relevant bodies nationwide.

This session will focus predominantly on Separated Children and their interactions with the Irish immigration system but will also look at immigrant children in foster care and their needs. The talk is based on the extensive experience gained through working in the legal clinics in Nasc Irish Immigrant Support Centre, a Cork based NGO. The clinics provide advice and support to separated children, immigrant children in care and their social workers. The Irish immigration system is opaque & extremely difficult to navigate without expert advice. This presents a unique set of challenges for practitioners working with these children as this information is not always readily available. The session will explore the situation of children,both while in care and afterwards & will examine their legal rights and entitlements, if any, in particular with respect to access to education, training and after-care facilities. We will look at the work Nasc carries out with Separated Children as a means to overcome barriers and provide recommendations for best practice. The immigration status of the child has a huge bearing on their rights, entitlements and their ability to access services. Separated children leaving foster care without an immigration status are particularly vulnerable as they are placed in direct provision accommodation which is unsuitable to their needs, lacking support, priority for an Aftercare service and far from the support of their foster family.

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W2-1

WORKSHOP SESSION II Adoption of Children from Foster Care in Ireland - Which Way Forward?

Presenter

Ms Pearl Doyle

Organisation

Tusla, Child and Family Agency

Co-presenter

Mrs Mairie Cregan

Organisation

Tusla, Child and Family Agency

Country

Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

This presentation examines proposed changes to Irish Adoption Legislation following the referendum on childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights. Implications for all those involved in the care of fostered children will be discussed, drawing on international research and best practice.

Pearl Doyle is currently the Acting Principal Social Worker of The Regional Adoption Services, Tusla in the Southern Region. Pearl has worked in the area of Child Protection and Community Work as well as adoption for over thirty years. She serves on the local fostering committee and her interests lie in the are of foster care to adoption as well as in supporting birth mothers and their families whose children have been placed in alternative care in the past. Mairie Cregan is an adoption social worker and foster carer who is currently completing a long-term study (PhD) in the adoption of children from foster care. Maire is an adoption social worker who has also worked in suicide prevention and mental health and is founder of the Aurelia Trust charity as well as training and research officer with Feileacain.

For the first time in Irish legislation the voice of the child will be heard in situations pertaining to their future care. This will have implications for their birth families as well as practitioners and foster carers. The presenters pose the questions on whether or not adoption may be seen as a cost saving exercise for the new Child and Family Agency and what implications will this have for practice. The workshop will consider what is currently believed to be in a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best interest and whether or not this can be achieved through adoption or a properly resourced long term foster care service.

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W2-2

WORKSHOP SESSION II Grown-up Children – How Children Become Foster Parents

Presenter

Mr Hristo Naydenov

Organisation

Co-presenter

Coordinator of Youth Involvement, National Association of Foster Care Mr Yanko Dimitrov

Country

Bulgaria

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Hristo Naydenov is a foster brother. He is 19 years old and is a student. Hristo is a coordinator of the youth group of the National Association of Foster Care in Bulgaria. Yanko Dimitrov is an engineer. He spent a significant part of his life in orphanages in Bulgaria. He started living with a foster family when he was a teenager.

Foster care has many participants – foster parents, specialists, foster children, youth. And so many experts. One group, which is seldom talked about, but which forms an integral part of foster care, are the birth children of foster parents. Children, which become foster siblings, have different challenges, which adults often neglect to consider. On the other hand, becoming attached to strangers poses a difficulty for the foster children themselves. The presentation will be given by two young men, who have experience from both sides of the spectrum – Hristo is a foster brother and Yanko landed in a foster family at a late age.

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W2-3

WORKSHOP SESSION II Team Fostering: Multidisciplinary Approach to Fostering

Presenter

Mr Fred McBride

Organisation Country

Chief Operations Officer, Tusla, Child and Family Agency Ireland

Co-presenter

Ms Mary Meyler

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

This workshop aims to explore how to: prevent placement breakdown and promote continuity of care; support foster parents when managing changing behaviour and children who have complex needs; reduce number of children in residential care by providing high support foster care; and ensure better outcomes for children overall. Discussion and presentation will be in the context of Irish social services and address the interdependence of stakeholder groups such as: children in care, foster carers, therapists, schools and social work teams. This session will explore: • What training do carers need? • Should both carers be at home full time? • How will the schools and education system contribute? • What would packages of high support foster care look like? Enhanced fostering/Team Fostering: Multidisciplinary approach to fostering

Stakeholder: • Children in care • Foster carers • Therapist • Schools • Social work teams Session to explore what is needed • What training do carers need? • Should both carers be at home full time? • How will the schools contribute? • What would packages of high support foster care look like? Fred McBride was educated at Grove Academy and Dundee University, graduating with MA Hons in History and Social Administration in 1983. His first job in the social work field was with Aberlour Trust, working in residential units in Stirling and Paisley before returning to Dundee to complete the post-graduate social work diploma in 1987. Since then, Fred has worked in a generic intake team and young people’s team as a Social Worker before being promoted as a Senior Social Worker (1991), then Service Manager (1994). In 1998 he became Head of Children and Families in Stirling Council and helped to create Scotland’s first integrated children’s services management structure. Fred returned to his native Dundee in 2005 as Head of Children’s Services in the Social Work Department where he worked until June 2009. He then took up post as Director for Social Care and Wellbeing at Aberdeen City Council. Fred is now COO of the newly established Child and Family Agency.

Aim: • Prevent placement breakdown continuity of care • Support foster parents when managing changing behaviour/ Children with complex needs • Reduce number of children in residential care by providing high support foster care • Better outcomes for children

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W2-4

WORKSHOP SESSION II Cultural Diversity in Alternative Care

Presenter

Ms Hazel Finlay

Organisation Country

Lecturer, Waterford Institute Of Technology Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop 16:00-17:30

Time

Hazel Finlay is a lecturer in the Department of Applied Arts at WIT. She lectures on the Applied Social Studies in Social Care Programme with a special interest in Irish social policy. Hazel is currently studying for a PhD by research at Waterford Institute of Technology. Her research interests include; Irish social policy, migration and the rights of vulnerable groups within Irish society.

During the 1990s the Irish economy experienced unprecedented levels of economic growth which saw Ireland emerge as the Celtic Tiger. This increase in economic growth was reflected in decreasing levels of emigration and an increase in the number of migrants entering the country. Although the flow of migrants to Ireland has decreased since recession, Ireland remains multicultural, with 188 different countries represented in the population (CSO, 2011). The flow of migrants to Ireland has included children accompanied or unaccompanied, seeking asylum and protection from the Irish state. From the years 2000 to 2010, 5,984 separated or unaccompanied children were referred to the HSE. While 2,878 of these children were reunited with family, 2,888 were placed in the care of the HSE (Barnardos, 2013). Although the number of separated children arriving in Ireland has been in decline (HSE, 2011) statistics reported 180 separated children in the care of the HSE. The challenge for all those involved in the care of these children is to understand the experiences that brought them here, the particular challenges and difficulties they face due to their migrant/ ethnic status and how to provide a truly caring environment that is inclusive to the needs of all children. This interactive workshop will provide a space to explore the meaning of ethnic and cultural diversity in a thoughtful and sensitive way; to enhance the knowledge, values and skills that are necessary for diversity competent care. www.ifco.info

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W2-5

WORKSHOP SESSION II Intervention and Family Support

Presenter

Mrs Dolores Martin

Organisation Country

Operations Manager, Daffodil Care Services Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Dolores Martin is a Social Care Worker with Daffodil Care Services with over seven years experience in a variety of different social care setting. Dolores holds a B.A in Applied Social Studies (Hons) and is also a fully accredited Parents Plus Trainer providing family support programmes both within Daffodil Care Services and externally.

Research has shown that Parenting Programmes make a real difference to families; however they do not always reach the families who could benefit from them most. Daffodil Care Services has devised a parenting programme based on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parents Plusâ&#x20AC;? model which is specifically designed to meet the needs of vulnerable families. Participation and engagement is achieved through; Engaging seldom heard families, developing a relationship of trust and respect, carrying out individual sessions with clients where required, identifying any special needs requirements, following up on non-attendance. An initial introductory session is carried out with all clients to access their readiness and suitability for the course as well as deciding whether or not an individual or group course is best suited to the client. The programmes are delivered by two highly skilled and appropriately trained facilitators who can tailor the programme to meet the individual needs of the individual or group. The facilitators are both senior long standing staff members with Daffodil Care Services and have extensive experience working with vulnerable children and their families in a variety of settings. The parenting workshop will involve a presentation of the programmes, an overview of the content of the three separate courses on offer and a questions and answers session with the course facilitators.

Conference Programme

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W2-6

WORKSHOP SESSION II Towards a Secure Transition to Independent Adulthood for Young People Growing Up in Care

Presenter

Mr Mike Allen

Organisation Co-presenter

Director of Advocacy, Focus Ireland Ms Catherine Maher

Country

Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Mike Allen is Director of Advocacy at Focus Ireland. He has published widely on issues of poverty, unemployment and homelessness. He is currently President of FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless). Catherine Maher is National Director of Services at Focus Ireland. After running a successful business in the childcare sector, she has worked in a range of front-line and management roles in Focus Ireland before taking up her current post. She is former Chairperson of the Dublin Homeless Network.

Over 20 years ago, the housing and homeless organization Focus Ireland identified that a significant proportion of people who experienced homelessness in Dublin had a history of being state care as children. Over the intervening years the organization has developed services, undertaken research and campaigned to reduce the risk of homelessness among young care leavers. A key element of this work has been the proposal that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;aftercareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; be provided to all care leavers who require it to support the transition into independent adult living. A milestone in this work was reached last year when the Irish cabinet approved legislation to ensure that all young people in care would have a right to have a needs assessment before they reached the age of 18. This assessment will be the basis on which services and supports are provided into early adulthood. The campaign involved an innovative interaction between service provision, research and public policy advocacy The paper outlines the stages of the campaign and how it is linked to the experience of working directly with the young people involved

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W2-7

WORKSHOP SESSION II Team Fostering: Multidisciplinary Approach to Fostering

Presenter

Ms Vasylyna Dybaylo

Organisation

Director, Partnership for Every Child Mr Andriy Chuprikov

Co-presenter

Country

SOS Children’s Village International Ukraine

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Organisation

In November 2013 – February 2014 is often named as Revolution of Dignity. Yes, Ukrainian people protested and Heavenly Hundred even lost their lives in fighting for respect for human rights, for rule of law, for freedom of speech, gatherings and beliefs. New government, new ministers, new initiatives and real (not declarative) changes in all spheres of live, including social care and child care, seemed real and in the nearest time. Though, in March 2014 terrorists’ military invasion in Eastern Ukraine challenged all these hopes. Ukrainian people, and the government, who just put enormous efforts in supporting families and children of fallen and injured during Euro Maidan, now face the reality of internally displaced people and children, of thousands of families fallen and injured in ATO (anti terrorist operation). This workshop is intended to present current situation in Ukraine from the perspective of the rights of the child. We would also like to discuss with colleagues strategies and programmes for supporting internally displaced children; child protection measures for children left without parental care; temporary measures to ensure family-based care; how to prevent “forced” institutionalisation of children from conflict areas; possibilities for systems reforms in the time of military actions.

Conference Programme

Vasylyna Dybaylo, Director of Partnership for Every Child in Ukraine, graduated the MS Programme on Social Development Practice of London Metropolitan University and holds BS Degree in Political Science. Over 12 years of project management experience in social policy project design, development and implementation; project management experience including large scale projects focusing on child care reform, monitoring of child rights implementation; civil society development; management of consultancy projects for international organisations; in-depth knowledge of existing international instruments and indices relating to child care and social projection in Ukraine; in-depth knowledge of NGO sector in Ukraine. Ms. Dybaylo is playing an active role the process of child care, child protection and social services systems transformation in Ukraine as well as in other CIS countries including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Andriy Chuprikov is Managing Director of International Charitable Organization “Charitable Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages” in Ukraine, which is one of the leading NGO, who fights for children’s rights in Ukraine and is a member of worldwide SOS Children’s Villages International federation. Mr Chuprikov has background in social science and management. He received Master degree in Science of Administration from Andrews University, USA; Master degree in International Economic and Management from Kiev National University of Economic, and also he is a Specialist in Administrative and Civil Law, degree received from Moscow International Independent University on Environmental & Political Science. He has participated in many postgraduate courses and trainings in Management and Organisational Behaviour at Oxford University, UK; EDAW-TSD, France; EuronAid, Vienna, Austria; ADRA Professional Institute, Washington DC, USA, etc. Professional activities of Mr Chuprikov include working in human rights protection and charitable programs more than ten years; successful experience as a business consultant, trainer and coach more than 15 years; working in Tacis EU and World Bank Group business development projects about five years.

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W2-8-1

WORKSHOP SESSION II Exploring How to Achieve Affective Equality for Women and Children Out of Home

Presenter

Ms Méabh Savage

Organisation Country

Lecturer, Waterford Institute Of Technology Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Méabh Savage: “I currently work in Department of Adult and Continuing Education in Waterford Institute of Technology lecturing on and coordinating a part-time degree in Social Care. I have also worked with homeless and vulnerable women over the part 10 years, and have seen first hand the multiple and complex issues that can impact on their lives. I have recently applied to begin a PhD in Equality Studies in UCD, where I plan to explore the role of affective equality in social care education and practice.”

This workshop aims to stimulate discussion and dialogue around developing and promoting empowering practices which support vulnerable (homeless) mothers (or pregnant women),whose children are in foster care, to develop their nurturing capital. In doing so it aims to give voice to and learn from the experiences of such women who have, or have had, children coming through the foster care system. In particular, it seeks to create dialogue on aspects of the system they feel supported them, or they feel let them down. In doing so, the aim is to identify social care responses which promote practices of affective equality which seek to ensure the rights of the child, while at the same time promote real opportunities for family reunification or the development of real positive relationships within the foster care system. Using creative means through which to share the experiences of such women I hope to open the dialogue on a complex and emotive area of practice in an effort to promote the development of multi-dimensional responses to meet the varying needs of this group; and in doings so identify the means through which we can create conditions for the development nurturing capital and equality of outcomes for vulnerable women and children.

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W2-8-2

WORKSHOP SESSION II Understanding Diversity in Gender and Sexuality in Children and Young People: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Born This Wayâ&#x20AC;?

Presenter

Ms Suzanne Walsh

Organisation

Country

Lecturer/Psychotherapist, Waterford Institute Of Technology Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

It is difficult to define the exact numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) people in the world but studies suggest that 10 percent of the population is gay, 1 in 30,000 males identify as females, 1 in 120,000 females identify as males and 1 in 500 children have a transgender or gender fluid identity. It is suggested therefore that within the area of child and social care, working with or caring for a young person who is LGBT is not only probable it is inevitable.

Suzanne Walsh initially trained in child care and then went on to train in social care work and clinical psychotherapy. She has a background in social care management and practice and over her 30 year career has worked in the areas of residential child care, early childhood care and education, within the community with families, with children and adults with intellectual disabilities, with young Irish travellers and with older adults. Suzanne currently works as a lecturer in 3rd level education but continues to work in the adult mental health area as a psychotherapist. She also works with young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and with their parents and families.

This paper will explore from an experiential perspective the subject of diversity in gender and sexuality in children and young people. It will initially focus on defining gender and sexuality and will address the questions: What if a young person identifies as transgender? What if a young person identifies as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual? The paper will be practically focused on exploring issues around the questions outlined above as they particularly relate to children and young people, their parents and carers. It will aim to be informative with regard to caring for and working with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people. It will be thought provoking for listeners and perhaps even challenging as they particularly relate to living or working with young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Conference Programme

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W3-1

WORKSHOP SESSION III Assessing Your Suitability to Work with Children â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Legal Dilemmas

Presenter

Mr Neil van Dokkum

Organisation

When

Lecturer, Waterford Institute of Technology Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Country

Judge Barr of the High Court compiled a very useful and practically workable checklist that must be followed when allegations are made regarding a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suitability to work with children. Through the use of a case study based on an actual incident, this workshop will work through this checklist, and consider the challenges of doing so.

It is an unfortunate truth that allegations are often made about people working with vulnerable children. These sorts of allegations are and will be made about foster carers or those applying to become foster carers. As the subject of the allegation is a vulnerable child, our reaction is often of the knee-jerk variety, rather than an objective and considered assessment of that allegation.

W3-2

WORKSHOP SESSION III Children, Young People and Families First: Tusla-National Model for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support

Presenter

Dr Aisling Gillen

Co-presenter

Ms Anne Goodwin Ms Joan Dunne

Co-presenter

When

Tusla, Child and Family Agency Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Organisation Country

The aim is to enhance inter-agency co-operation to ensure that services for children are coordinated and that they provide an integrated response to the needs of children and families. All of the services provided to children and families in an area must begin to act as one cohesive support system.

The development and implementation of a single, transparent, consistent and accountable National Service Delivery Framework (NSDF) focused on improving outcomes for children is a key component of Tusla, the Child & Family Agency. www.ifco.info

A programme of work has been undertaken to define, design and implement a framework for prevention, partnership and family support service provision as part of the National Service Delivery Framework for the Agency. This programme of work has been funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and has been carried out by the Child & Family Research Centre, Galway, in conjunction with the National Policy Development Manager in Family Support, Tusla. www.conference.ifco.info

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The main components of this programme of work are a suite of policy, strategy and guidance documents in relation to the Area-based approach; Meitheal : a National Practice Model for early identification of needs and strengths in children and families and appropriate and timely help-provision; Commissioning; Supporting Parenting; and Participation. Work has begun on a national implementation plan, including a National Training Strategy for Meitheal. Each of these components are inter-related and need to be considered and implemented collectively to support the comprehensive development of Prevention, Partnership and Family Support service provision in the Child & Family Agency. Highlighted in these documents is that moving from research development and testing of innovations to widespread use requires a systematic change management focus on structures; people and resources; partnership; and practice. The Area Manager for Childrens Services in Waterford County has started to incrementally develop the area based approach to Prevention, Partnership and Family Support in his area and specifically, the Meitheal Model. Key challenges and learning from the work in Waterford County will be explored, drawing from the recent Health Information & Quality Authority Report on Child protection services in Waterford. Dr Aisling Gillen has 15 years of clinical experience working as a Speech & Language Therapist in a variety of settings. She has worked as a Counsellor for Special Needs and in Quality Assurance. As a Disability Service Manager in Donegal, she headed the development of a 10-year strategy for the development of Disability Services in Donegal. She worked for 5 years as a Regional General Manager for Children’s Services in the HSE West and established one of the precursors to the Children’s Services Committees, the North-west Children & Young People’s Committee. Aisling has worked on a number of cross-border initiatives, the Outcomes for Children Project under Co-operation & Working Together, the Participation Project and more lately, the Hidden Harm Project.

Conference Programme

Aisling is currently working as a National Policy Development Manager in Family Support in the new Child and Family Agency, where she has developed a suite of policy, strategy and guidance documents in family support (supported by Atlantic Philanthropies and in partnership with the Child & Family Research Centre, NUI Galway) to define, design and implement a framework for prevention, partnership and family support service provision as part of the National Service Delivery Framework for the new Child and Family Agency (Tusla). She is a Board member of Young Ballymun. Aisling has an MSc in Innovation Management in the Public Services, specialising in integration of children’s services and a PhD in Linguistics.

Anne Goodwin is currently the General Manager of St Brigids Family and Community Centre located in Waterford City which provides counselling, childcare and a range of community and family support initiatives. Anne’s qualifications include a B.A in Social Studies and an M.A. in Family Support. She has lectured to honours degree level in Community and Youth Work and has 25 years experience working in consultancy, managerial and frontline roles in the community development and family support sector. Anne has championed the renewed focus on family support and has helped to build the capacity of the National Family Resource Centre Programme to enable a successful transition to Tusla, the Child & Family Agency.

Joan Dunne has 35 years experience working in Social Care with children and families. She began her career in 1978, as a child care worker in St Josephs School Clonmel, a residential centre for boys aged 8-17yrs. In 1998, Joan moved to HSE Waterford Community Services and worked as a Community Child Care Leader with children and families referred to Social Work Child Welfare and Protection services. Joan is currently working in Tusla, Child and Family Agency as Coordinator for Waterford Child and Family Support Networks, with responsibility for supporting the implementation of Meitheal, the national practice model for all agencies working with children, young people and families. Joan has a degree in Social Care and a higher diploma in Montessori Education

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W3-3

WORKSHOP SESSION III Promoting Participation by Children: Listening to the Voice of the Child

Presenter

Ms Freda McKittrick

Co-presenters

Ms Clare Deane, Ms Aine Costello, Mr Tim Stewart

Organisation

Barnardos

Country When

UK Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

• Amplifying Voices – Barnardos will share our learning from working with children and young people to develop their collective voice and discuss our work on developing a model of rights based participation. Freda McKittrick is the Manager of the Barnardos Guardian ad Litem Service, Ireland’s leading provider of this service, working with 797 children in 2013.

This Workshop will explore the theme of participation by children and young people and will give participants the opportunity to discuss what it means in practice in a variety of contexts including: • Voices and Choices – Barnardos Guardian Ad Litem Service will give an input outlining the findings of recent research undertaken by the Service that highlights the significance for children who are involved in family law proceedings of having their voice heard. The presenters will illustrate and explain the key message from this research, which highlights that considering the voice of the child is significant for them, irrespective of whether their choice can be met and it forms an important part of the maturing process for this vulnerable group of children. • Assisting children who live at home and avail of family support services to participate in decision making. Practitioners working in Barnardos Family Support Services will outline a best practice model to assist children and young people’s participation when undertaking assessments and in other decision making meetings. Resources, tools and strategies in how to gain the perspective of the child will be shared. The workshop will include input from practitioner’s experience, sharing of practice tools from direct work and discussion from workshop participants to ensure a participative approach.

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Freda is a qualified social worker, having worked as a social worker and Guardian ad Litem in London. She returned to Ireland in 2000, and worked with the Probation Service before joining Barnardos. Freda has managed the Barnardos Service since 2002 and writes and lectures on the Guardian ad Litem system in Ireland in addition to her continuing practice as a Guardian ad Litem in the courts. In 2012 Freda was the recipient of the Canon Maurice Handy Award for the period of 2012 – 2014 for her contribution to the understanding of family and child relationships in Ireland.

Clare Deane is the Assistant Director of Children’s Services for Barnardos Midlands. North East and Dublin City. Clare is a qualified social worker and a qualified child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapist. With over 28 years experience of working with children and families Clare has worked with children in care, child protection and family support. Clare gained her experience in the UK and in Ireland. Clare facilitated a group of Barnardos practitioners and managers to develop a practice document to inform and enhance practice in the area of children’s participation in decision making meetings.

Aine Costello is a Project worker in Barnardos family Support Project in Clonmel, Co.Tipperary. She received a BA in Social Care in Dublin Institute of Technology in 2002. She has worked in areas ranging from youth work, disability, residential care, early school leavers and family support. For the past six years , Aine has been working in a Barnardos family support project with children and their families, to address a range of issues that affect them including child welfare and protection issues , support to cope with parental separation ,bereavement , poor parental mental health, or school related difficulties to name but a few.

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A key element of Aine’s role is to ensure that the child’s voice is heard in a meaningful way when undertaking family support assessments , in direct work with children ,young people and their families and when reviewing and evaluating the work. Aine will be able to share her considerable experience of what works in practice and will contribute to a discussion on resources, tools and strategies that ensure the perspective of the child is heard.

Tim Stewart has a BA in Informal and Community Education. He has 16 years of youth work practice which has been developed in a variety of environments across Ireland, both North and South. This work includes working in both voluntary and statutory sectors delivering outdoor education, community relations in statutory youth sector and formal education sector, shared education, faith based work and delivering participation initiatives. Over the last 6 years Tim’s work has specifically been participation and rights work and youth led initiatives, working on projects like The Big Deal and currently as a Participation and Rights Coordinator in North Dublin with The Barnardos Amplifying Voices Initiative. Amplifying Voices works directly with seldom heard young people aged 10 – 15 yrs old across 3 communities in Dublin - Finglas, Dublin 15 and Tallaght. Tim’s work focuses on facilitating organisations to identify the strengths within their young people and staff to create sustainable, needs focused work. Tim has also volunteered on several international projects, leading groups to America, Bulgaria, South Africa and Belgium. These projects supported young people to volunteer in orphanages and schools, research youth justice programmes and engage in community relations projects.

Conference Programme

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W3-4

WORKSHOP SESSION III Issues, Approaches and Practices for a Generation of Virtually Connected Youth in Out-of-Home Care

Presenter

Mr Robert Edwards

Organisation Co-presenter

Anu Family Services Mr Michael Place

Organisation

Mind The GaP

Country When

USA Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

As the field moves forward the task of helping youth maximize their opportunity to connect using social media safely & responsibly as well as making social media part of an ongoing conversation with youth in care remains paramount. Excellence from Anu in 2009. Rob served as Chairperson of the Association of Macro Practice Social Workers (AMPSW) and is currently a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) – Minnesota Chapter Board of Directors.

This generation of youth in care possesses the capacity & knowhow to be connected virtually despite living in out of home care. If connections are key to creating & preserving well-being as some suggest, jurisdictions, agencies, case workers & foster parents will need to develop ways to maximize this opportunity in practice.

Rob has over 15 years of experience in the child welfare field and is a Licensed Graduate Social Worker in the State of Minnesota and an Advanced Practice Social Worker in the State of Wisconsin. Michael is a an alumnus of the foster care system and Founder and Project Leader at Mind the GaP, an organization helping develop innovative approaches to coordinating information sharing related to mental health and children in foster care.

Many youth enter care with one or more devices that they can use to remain connected. How jurisdictions, agencies, case workers & foster parents view social media & its role in the lives of youth vary. While concerns for safety & risk still remain, the task of moving forward in a world where youth will undoubtedly be connected virtually requires the development of policy & practice that allow youth the opportunity to connect, stay connected & engage in a connected society.

Michael is a frequent blogger for the Chronicle of Social Change, has been featured on MPR and has worked with foster care and LGBTQ organizations such as the California Youth Connection and the Empire State Pride Agenda Michael is currently pursuing a masters degree in Educational Leadership and Change at Antioch University in Los Angeles.

Some youth in care use social media to stay connected with friends & relatives or to stay connected with former caregivers, former caseworkers & other youth they’ve met. By learning safe, responsible online activity & modeling the same outward as digital citizen’s youth in care will become engaged & self-directed in maximizing the potential for connectedness in a connected world.

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W3-5

WORKSHOP SESSION III ‘Keeping Siblings Connected’ – The Importance of Maintaining Birth Family Links

Presenter

Mr Brian Dignam

Co-presenter

Ms Fiona Murphy

Organisation

Five Rivers Ireland

Country When

Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Brian Dignam is one of the Directors of Five Rivers Ireland. A Qualified Social Care Practitioner, Brian has worked in the area of Children in Care for 28 years.

As many of the children in our care may be fostered with different families, we believe that Sibling Access is a crucial element in maintaining links while living separately. The aim of Sibling Access is to preserve Family Connections while in the care system. Sibling relationships are emotional ties and bonds to their past life. Access not only connects the children to each other in the present, it also makes the pathway for the future. These Sibling Access sessions provide a source of continuity in the child’s life where there may be a high degree of uncertainty, and provides them with a sense of Identity and Belonging. Maintaining a strong sibling relationship for children in foster care, acts as a buffer to the adverse circumstances they may be facing. Siblings offer one another a support system that is based on mutual understanding and is natural to the child. We as professionals wish to enhance the quality of this relationship to ensure that a Secure Attachment is maintained for these children. We operate from a Child-centred model, underpinned by the child’s best interest; if we fail to strengthen sibling relationships we would be neglecting the children in our care.

Conference Programme

Brian was the coordinator of Residential Care with the HSE for 9 years and set up and managed various residential services prior to this. He was also a Supervisor to a number of staff in a variety of settings. Brian has extensive experience and knowledge in working with children in the homeless services, main stream residential, detention services and high support services. Brian has worked with Five Rivers Fostering for 3 years and is currently developing residential support services for the Agency. Fiona Murphy is Training, Development and Therapeutic Service Manager within Five Rivers Ireland. Her role is to devise, deliver and oversee training for Foster Carers and Social Workers and supervise staff in supporting children. Fiona also works with children & families in a therapeutic and supportive role and provides play therapy for foster children and children who foster. With 21 years experience of working with children and families, Fiona has worked primarily in residential and foster care. Her background includes Community Care/ Community.

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W3-6

WORKSHOP SESSION III The Limits of Foster Care – How Much Can We Expect from Foster Carers?

Presenter

Ms Carmen Secareanu

Co-presenter

Ms Mairie Cregan

Organisation

Aurelia Trust

Country When

Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Much of Carmen’s work has been in the development of organisations supporting civil society in post- communist Romania, including groups dedicated to the support of victims of domestic violence, animal welfare, community groups, support organisations for vulnerable families and also organisations focussed on the rights of children and adults with disabilities.

Foster care is a difficult enterprise which is hugely demanding of those involved in its delivery. More and more children across Europe are needing out of home care, yet we have less and less families prepared to provide the secure and caring placements required for children with increasingly complex needs. Has foster care run its course? Can ‘ordinary’ families provide the caring, nurturing, understanding and patience needed by children who have been subject to varying levels of neglect and physical and sexual abuse? How does an eighteen hour preparation course equip foster carers to cope with the behaviours presented by children who have experienced extremes of early life adversity? This workshop presents the outcomes of a fostering project commenced in 1998 in Negru Voda, Romania, which addresses the points raised above. The pilot project involved ten children from the notorious Negru Voda orphanage who were placed in foster care with specially recruited, selected, trained and supported foster carers. The project enjoyed a 90% success rate and this workshop examines the components which contributed to this, including the preparation of the children as well as the foster families for placement. The presenters will look at the skills, values and knowledge of the foster carers that allowed them to accept a child from an institution who had experienced profound levels of neglect, and will consider the role of the fostering family. www.ifco.info

Carmen lectures at third level in the area of civil society and organisational and project management. She is the chief executive of an international training organisation which specialises in project management and governance and along with Mairie Cregan is currently designing a training programme for professionals involved in the Search and Reunion Services in Romania. Mairie Cregan is the founder of the Aurelia Trust, and organisation dedicated to the care of institutionalised children in Eastern Europe (primarily Romania). Along with Carmen Secareanu of Caleidoscope, she was instrumental in the setting up of foster care for institutionalised children in Romania and along with two other NGOs, Trade Aid and Focus on Romania forced the closure of the infamous Negru Voda orphanage in 2006. She is a pioneer of the instigation and piloting of alternative care systems in Romania. The Aurelia Trust remains active in Romania working alongside the Romanian statutory services and local NGOs in promoting best practice in the care of abandoned children and support of vulnerable families. Mairie was a registered foster carer for almost thirty years and was herself raised as a birth child in a fostering family. She is also an adoptive mother through domestic (foster care adoption) and inter country adoption. Mairie currently works between Tusla (Child and Family Agency as an adoption social worker) and as a lecturer in University College Cork where she lectures in fostering, suicide intervention, group work and social work in health care settings. She is a founder member and researcher with Feileacain (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland) and is completing a PhD in the adoption of children from long term foster care - a ten year study due for completion in 2015.

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W3-7

WORKSHOP SESSION III Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families

Presenter

Ms Christine Riggs

Organisation

When

TCIF Trainer, Fresh Start Fostering Ireland Ms Bernie Murphy Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Country Co-presenter

Christine Riggs is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse who has worked in mental health for over 20 years in the UK. Christine returned to live in Ireland in 2002; she joined Freshstart in 2004 as a Residential Child Care worker and trained as a TCI instructor in 2005. Christine is responsible for the training, implementation and monitoring of TCI within the residential Child Care units in the organisation. Christine trained as a TCIF instructor in 2011 and has implemented the training programme to the Freshstart Foster Carers. Christine has two children and relaxes by reading and gardening.

History of how TCIF was developed and rationale for same. • The goal of this training programme is to train adults to help children to develop new responses to their environment that will enable them to achieve a higher level of social and emotional maturity

Bernie Murphy B.A. A.S.S. is a qualified social care worker. Bernie has worked for Freshstart for 5 years in a Residential Child Care Setting. Bernie trained in TCI in 2013 and is responsible for the training and monitoring of TCI within the Service. Bernie is an avid reader and has a keen interest in cookery.

• Effect of training is to help adults to prevent and de-escalate crisis interventions with children • Safely and therapeutically manage crisis • Be able to work with children to help improve their coping strategies The workshop will be interactive and experiential.

Conference Programme

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W3-8-1

WORKSHOP SESSION III Ensuring the Rights of the Child, and Family-based Services

Presenter

Ms Catherine Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donohoe

Organisation

Regional manager, Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Country When

Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

11:00-11:30

The service aims to improve the quality and level of coping and resilience for either children or parents through the development of life and parenting skills which assist the client in making positive social connections with others and build their self-belief and confidence in their abilities. This improved coping ability and their increased social networks act as a buffer in times of stress helping to ensure the child or parent has added resilience in times of adversity. This is evidence informed and empowers young people to make positive social connections with others. Mentors actively support young people to communicate difficulties helping them to relate more effectively to others. Through the parent mentoring programme mentors can empower parents to parent more positively which increases the coping capacity of parents/carers. This programme enhances parenting skills through the provision of a supportive mentor who is available to listen, help, problem solve and develop social support networks. By improving parenting skills the service can ensure that the rights of the child are being met within the family home. This presentation provides detailed information on all aspects of the ISPCC Mentoring programme from initial referral, to match precision, on-going monitoring including assessment and individual programme plans to closure and evaluation. It also clearly shows how the work of this mentoring programme fits with the aim of ensuring the rights of the child.

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W3-8-2

WORKSHOP SESSION III Attitudes to Continuing Professional Development and Training for Social Sphere Practitioners - Areas for Future Action

Presenter

Ms Aoife Prendergast

Organisation

When

Lecturer, Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown, Dublin Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

11:30-12:00

Country

This presentation will explore contemporary professional practice in continuing professional development, training and education within the social care profession, particularly within the area of professional supervision of students on practice placements from academic institutions. Currently there is limited research on professional supervision and practice education in social care. Additionally, there is no regulated framework or consistency of professional standards for placement educators in the social care profession.

Aoife Prendergast is a Lecturer in the Department of Humanities at the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown,Dublin,Ireland. Having completed both her undergraduate (BSc, Diploma sa Gaeilge) and postgraduate studies (MA in Health Promotion) at NUI Galway, Aoife has undertaken a diverse breadth of work with a variety of client groups and settings. Aoife has substantial lecturing and training experience in both the UK and Ireland in a variety of roles including National Training Projects Co-ordinator and Community Health Co-ordinator for NHS Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. She has successfully created and managed numerous innovative training and development projects in public health within diverse communities in both the UK and Ireland. In addition, Aoife was selected as a Community Empowerment Champion for her work in the East of England in 2010. Aoife is a member of the Board of Directors of Fingal County Childcare Committee and Blanchardstown Citizens Information Centre, Dublin. A skilled and successful lecturer, her exposure to various cultures and widely divergent groups ensures her comfort level in working with a variety of clients. She has presented extensively internationally in Canada, UK and Ireland. Her abiding belief is that education is a personal and communal process that is the path to the social change needed by communities.She is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Education.

The professionalization of Social Care has changed the landscape for Social Care workers, educators and indeed service users in Ireland. Regulation of the Social Care profession is set to be implemented by the Health and Social Care Professional Council (CORU) in the next two to three years. CORU is Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first multiprofessional health regulator. It was set up under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. CORU sets out to identify the competence of the individual social care practitioner and sets standards of these competencies such as effective communication, personal and professional development, interpersonal and professional relationships. This presentation will explore the concept of the social care supervision process and expectations in current practice education related to the context of current higher education and professional health and social care practice in a climate of changing health and social care systems in Ireland.

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WORKSHOP SESSION III Tailoring Family Support Interventions to Suit the Needs of Individual Families in Crisis

Presenter

Mr Louis O’Moore

Co-presenter

Ms Dolores Martin

Organisation

Daffodil Care Services

Country When

Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

12:00-12:30

The session will present a parenting programme that has been put together by Daffodil Care Services which aims to meet the individual needs of particularly vulnerable families. The philosophy underpinning this course is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to providing support and interventions for families in crisis and it is with this in mind that this parenting course is tailored to meet the specific individual needs of children and families. The key aim of the course, in line with the new Child and Family Agency, is to work with families to help prevent serious problems arising in the first instance, identify and provide supports at an early stage and assist families and children to manage more serious problems by carrying out assessments and making recommendations for more specialised interventions if required. There is a choice of service delivery: clients can come to a group session where their learning will be supported through interactions with other parents or they can choose to work with a facilitator in their own home on an individual basis. The guiding principle is that individualising services to meet the needs of clients is crucial for good outcomes for both children and families.

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WORKSHOP SESSION III The Value of Learning

Presenter

Mrs Maeve Healy

Organisation

When

Learning Development Worker, Irish Foster Care Association Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Country

Maeve Healy has recently joined the Irish Foster Care Association as Learning Development Worker. She has over 15 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience of working in the community and voluntary sector, involving training and development, capacity building and policy roles.

The Irish Foster Care Association is committed to increasing the expertise of all involved in foster care by delivering training programmes that match best practice globally. Fostering can be complex. Foster carers need to be fully supported and informed to enable them to meet the needs of children in their care. Continuous learning can empower carers to care with greater skills and understanding. This workshop will explore the role and value of training in supporting best practice in foster care. It will examine national and international training practice. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss the role of training in supporting fostering relevant to the Irish context.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV My Name Is Ellada: A Case Study

Presenter

Prof. Myrna McNitt

Organisation

When

International Foster Care Organisation USA Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Country

This session will show the award winning movie “My Name is Ellada” made by the young Rotarians, Azerbaijan. “My Name is Ellada” is a story of an abandoned child who grows up in an institution for children with disabilities. Ellada tells her story as she is preparing to leave care. This session highlights the importance of advocating for every child to have a permanent family. Participants will view the movie and participate in a guided group discussion intended to assist participants in understanding: • The importance of family based care for children who have been abandoned • The human right of children with disabilities to live a life of social inclusion • The importance of helping children without parental care to have lifelong connections with adults • How to support young people leaving care • Reflect on the important role each of us plays in promoting the human rights of children in need of alterative care. (UNCRC & the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.)

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Myrna has extensive experience in direct practice in juvenile justice, child protection, foster care and adoption in the USA as well as Kenya and England. In England she was the clinical team leader providing foster care services through the use of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care to severely disturbed adolescents. Myrna has been a presenter at many IFCO conferences. Myrna is on the Board of Trustees of the International Foster Care Organization as the chair of the Training, Conferences, and Projects Committee. For IFCO Myrna has provided consultation and training in Japan, Malta, Ireland, England, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Ecuador, Slovakia, Romania, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Hungary, and Canada. She has provided consultation in Hungary, Kosovo and Azerbaijan working with international non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and national ministries to introduce foster care services.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV A Kinship Care Assessment Model: Widening Family and Professional Participation and Decision Making

Presenter

Dr Valerie O’Brien

Organisation

When

College Lecturer, School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Country

This paper holds that widening extended family participation is essential if outcomes in respect of assessment, support, supervision and meeting therapeutic needs in kinship care are to be enhanced.

Dr Valerie O’Brien is a College Lecturer at the School of Applied Social Science at University College Dublin and is an Associate at Clanwilliam Institute, Dublin. She is a social worker, systemic psychotherapist and supervisor. She is currently a member of a number of Boards : The Irish Foster Care Association, Social Workers in Foster Care (IASW); Family Therapy Association of Ireland and Irish Council of Psychotherapy. Previously, she served for 12 years on the Irish Adoption Board (1998 -2010). She has a particular interest in action based research and has been to the forefront in aiding numerous developments in the child welfare system in Ireland. Her main areas of research interest are family group conferencing, kinship care and adoption practice and policy and she has published widely in these areas. Clinically, she works predominantly with complex blended families (kinship, foster adoption, reformed) and consults on complex multi-party cases. She can be contacted at Valerie.obrien@ucd.ie

The proposed model arises from the author’s involvement in research on general kinship care in Ireland, twenty years of clinical work in the area and an earlier demonstration project that took place in Ireland (O’Brien 2002, O’Brien 2012a,2012b) and a recent review of family group conferencing service (O’Brien et al 2014). The model used in the first phase of a demonstration project set up in 2003 and the learning from more recent research on FGC this are presented in this paper. The research findings and practice-based clinical experience is examined against international literature on the topic. The resulting model offers an approach to assessment that could fit with many legislative, policy and practice contexts and has relevance for kinship care assessments internationally.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV More Foster Care: Is That Really Our Goal?

Presenter

Mr Rene de Bot

Organisation

When

Foster parent and youth care consultant, Foster Care Netherlands Netherlands Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Country

Yes less children have to live in residential care: so chapter one of our DI development is running well: what will be chapter two: only more foster care??

DI deinstitutionalisation is the magic word in youth care in Western and Eastern Europe.

Rene de Bot is a foster parent and was director of the foster care center in Rotterdam. He advised about new legislation around foster care and developing publicity campaigns to promote foster care. As an (IFCO) trainer he is involved in de-institutionalisation projects and in implementing modern foster care in the Balkan- and Eastern Europe countries.

In the Netherlands foster care is well developed: 16.000 children in foster families, 100% more than ten years ago. To be proud of, yes or no? You can never stop being the father and mother of your child. Part of the youth care clients in our country developed consumer behaviour: parents handed over their “problem” child and, sitting back, waited for solutions made by professionals. Social workers want to help, that is their attitude. Government accepted this development and lots laws were based on that. In our society important values around solidarity got lost. A warning for countries that are professionalizing their care system? What role will church, neighbours, school, the sports club play in supporting a family in need? DI should be more that closing institutions and developing foster care. Strengthening the birth parents to prevent outplacement needs more attention. “from welfare state to participation society” is our governments new slogan, for sure also based on the economic crisis. New language is introduced: from care plan to action plan. “Parents how will you solve your problems”. Development of the family group conference and of kinship care are important items in this development.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV Building the Qualities of a Holding Relationship in Foster Care Settings

Presenter

Mr Jim Cantwell

Organisation

When

Lecturer, Waterford Institute of Technology Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Country

The tools used by parents to understand and contain their own feelings while engaged with children. A toolbox is a very pertinent image for those in an adult carer role with children. The tools adults’

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use with children will be personal experiences for children that will influence the components of the toolbox children use themselves in their relationships (Spinelli: 1994: 293). This workshop will focus on skills that adults can use to generate relationships with children in their care. It will be informed by D.W. WInnicott’s concept of holding. Jim Cantwell is a practitioner with a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Studies and an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. He has worked full time in the residential sector with young people for 20 + years and joined WIT as a lecturer in 2007. He works in private practice in psychotherapy in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, Ireland working generally with adolescents and adults.

WORKSHOP SESSION IV The Impact of Alienation on Children

Presenter

Mr Frank Keating

Organisation

When

Course Leader, Waterford Institute of Technology Ms Maria Ronin Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Co-presenter Country

Today there are many children affected by separation and loss for reasons which are many and varied. In this paper/workshop the author considers one such reason i.e. the “alienation” of a child from significant others. However, “alienation” can take many forms and be experienced in many ways. In this paper the author will focus on a variety of manifestations of “alienation” with specific focus on: • Paternal Alienation • Parental Alienation

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• Parental Alienation Syndrome • Systemic/Judicial Alienation It is the author’s intention to provide a series of hypothesis drawn from research and provide practical examples of case studies to support the research findings. Having presented the above the author will consider the implications of “processes of alienation” in the context of Foster Care. For example; can foster carers alienate foster children from their biological parents or can members of birth families alienate children from carers. In the event of placement breakdown what are the implications for the child in terms of “divided loyalties. Mr Keating has served as a Board Member of the Irish Foster Care Association, Member of the International Foster Care Association, Board Member of The Aurelia Trust, Board Member of Cuan Saor Women’s Refuge, and Board Member of Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV Improving Training Through a Competency-based Training Model

Presenter

Dr Judith Rycus

Organisation

When

Co-founder, Program Director, Institute for Human Services USA Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Country

The presenter will provide links to concept papers, competencies, curricula, and other resources to help participants apply competency-based training strategies in their own work.

Training is essential to promote best practice in the child welfare field. Yet, not all training is equally valuable. Sometimes it’s too basic, or it’s not relevant to our work. Sometimes it just isn’t available when we need it. Sometimes we think staying on the job is a better use of time than attending training. Yet, we all feel, at times, if we had better skills, we could be more effective in our work. This workshop will describe a training model designed to address these and other challenges. Launched in 1985 in Ohio, the system was designed to “get the right people to the right training at the right time.” The model is transferable to any organization that wants to make training more relevant, focused, and timely.

Dr Rycus is co-founder and Program Director of the Institute for Human Services in Columbus, Ohio. IHS promotes large scale system change in the field of child welfare through organizational development, strategic planning, policy development, and competency-based inservice training. Dr Rycus has published extensively in professional journals, resource textbooks, and policy white papers. She is the lead author of the four-volume Field Guide to Child Welfare, which is widely used throughout North America and Eastern Europe. She is principal author of a library of training curricula on the fundamentals of effective child welfare practice for social workers, supervisors, and foster and adoptive parents. The Field Guide and many of her training curricula have been translated into Russian for use throughout Eastern Europe by professionals attempting to implement permanent, family-based care for dependent and maltreated children as an alternative to orphanage care. Dr Rycus has directed the development and statewide implementation of the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP) since the program’s inception in 1985. Dr Rycus has a Doctorate in developmental psychology and a Masters in social work.

Topics include: • Identifying the essential knowledge and skills (competencies) to do the work; • Using competencies to assess and prioritize individual, group, and system-wide training needs, to drive development of curricula, and to select trainers • Using needs assessment data to promote effective use of training resources • Training strategies that promote skill development • Using training to stimulate organizational change.

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W4-7-1

WORKSHOP SESSION IV Sibling Rights: From Lip Service to Legislation. An Australian Perspective

Presenter

Ms Trish McCluskey

Organisation

When

Director, Berry Street, Gippsland. Australia Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

16:00-16:45

Country

Trish McCluskey is the Director of Berry Street, Gippsland. Berry Street is Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ( Australia) largest independent child and family welfare organisation. Trish is also the Chairperson of Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Therapeutic Treatment Board formed in a world first child protection innovation which provides multidisciplinary diversion hearings for serious cases of child and adolescent sexually concerning behaviour. Trish is a social worker with over three decades of work in child protection and advocacy.

Siblings in out of home care systems are often described as over- looked and underresearched. Models of attachment have tended to focus on the parent child dyad despite siblings being obvious attachment figures for one another in situations of abuse, neglect or abandonment. The rights of siblings to be placed together in care may be undermined by lack of placements at a time when foster care is struggling to find any placements. How then do we ensure the rights of siblings to be placed together and/ or stay meaningfully connected is not compromised? Australia has struggled with this concept and state by state laws reflect different approaches which remain largely dictated by resources. This paper discusses the authors research with siblings separated in out of home care and what it is they want and need.

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV Nearest and Dearest in Children’s Lives in Child Protection. Insights and Experience of Family Relationships in Child Protection in Finland

Presenter

Ms Pia Lahtinen

Organisation

Pesäpuu ry

Co-presenters

When

Mr Sami Isoniemi and/or Mr Waranyoo Ronkainen Finland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

45-minute workshop

Time

16:45-17:30

Country

desciping and writing about family relationships. We will also see and test some professional tools for exploring and strengthening of the relationships of children and people close to them. Come to work with us and consider changing relationships and the nearest and dearest people around children in child protection!

Pesäpuu ry is a nationwide child welfare association bringing expertise for the public good. Our work is economically supported by the Slot Machine Association in Finland. The main goals in Pesäpuu is to hear children’s voices and make children visible in child welfare. We develop methods and concrete tools that help attain these goals. In 2013 we started a new project called Lähemmäs (Closer). The main idea is the recognition that a child has a right to express who are the nearest and dearest people around him/her. The aim is to get involved the close people in the child’s life in all steps of child welfare procedures. Also our aim is to challenge the authorities to see the people around the child as a positive resource when they prove to be such.

Pia Lahtinen is a project manager in Lähemmäs (Closer) project in Pesäpuu Association in Finland. Lahtinen is a specialist social worker and licentiate in social work with children and young people. She has been a co-ordinator for the local family group conference service and a secretary of a multiprofessional team of child welfare experts in Central Finland. Currently she is a part-time specialist in two Administrative Courts and National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).

Sami Isoniemi and Waryanoo Ronkainen are members of the national Survivor team in Pesäpuu. Isoniemi is a Master of Administrative Sciences. He is combining two careers as an Advisor in Pesäpuu and a Detective Sergeant in Asylum and Aliens investigation. Ronkainen is one of the founders of local focus group in Oulu, Finland.

The Survivors team in Pesäpuu is a national focus group of young people of ages 18-28 with personal experience of alternative care. Now they develop child welfare as experts of experience. Lähemmäs and Survivors team have worked together to explore the relationships in children’s life. The Survivors team has focused on working with young people, and Lähemmäs with professionals, parents, relatives and people close to a child. In this workshop we will hear and see multiple messages of children and young people, parents, relatives and professionals talking,

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WORKSHOP SESSION IV Practising the Pause Program

Presenter

Mr Derek McDonnell

Organisation

When

Community Social Care Leader, Tusla Social Work Department, Child and Family Centre Portlaois Co Laois Ms Phil Kelly Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

16:00-17:30

Co-presenter Country

Focusing was discovered in the late 1970s by Dr Eugene Gendlin who was a student and later colleague of Dr Carl Rogers. He carried out research into the area of why is it that some people do better in therapy than others? From this research he discovered a process and developed a way for people to access and use this natural process more fully. He called it focusing www.focusing.org

Derek McDonnell has worked for the last 23 years as a Social Care Practitioner in various settings; 14 years in Lucena Clinic in Orwell child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Currently he is working as Community Social Care Leader in Social Worker Department in Laois/Offaly, providing therapeutic intervention to children and young people. Derek is trained in process called “Focusing” which he has incorporated into his therapeutic intervention. He runs training programme in this process called “Practising the Pause Program” based on Eugene Gendlin “Process model. Ms Phil Kelly is Certifying Focusing Coordinator with the Focusing Institute and a Children Focusing Trainer. She has delivered training programme over the past twenty years in this process. She has being involved in the development of focusing training program in midlands over the past two year with foster parents. Phil has a holistic health clinic in Dublin.

This is based on the primacy of the human presence. ”The essence of working with another person is to be present as a living being. And that is lucky, because if we had to be smart, or good, or mature, or wise, then we would probably be in trouble. But what matters is not that. What matters is to be a human being with another human being.” Eugene Gendlin 1990 The workshop will be all about Pausing, Noticing, listening and following, what is happening inside yourself and centred around accompanying the foster children whom you care for in practical way in your daily living, so they feel heard. It will be co-facilitated by Foster parent who have completed the 80 hour training program and trainer program in Laois/ Offaly area.

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WORKSHOP SESSION V Going Back... The Experiences of Search and Reunion for Romanian Children Adopted Intercountry

Presenter

Ms Mairie Cregan

Organisation

University College Cork

Co-presenter When

Ms Carmen Secareanu Ireland Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00-10:30

Country

Tracing and reunion services in Ireland, while grossly under resourced are well developed, and social workers/counsellors working in the area are highly skilled and experienced in supporting adopted people or natural parents in tracing their families of origin. For children adopted inter country however the experience is very different. There are no developed inter country tracing services and inter country adopted young adults and their families have to find their own way in this complex process. The Aurelia Trust (Romania) has assisted a number of adopted young people and their families in tracing: The Trust is currently designing a course for professionals in Romania to help them cope with the increasing levels of Romanian children returning to their country of origin in search of their birth families. This workshop presents the issues and challenges faced by the young people who are tracing as well as the birth families who are traced. For many the experience has not been positive and there are no support structures in place to assist those involved to negotiate the process. The workshop will look at the issues that arise due to inadequate preparation of both the natural families as well as the adopted child and examine how different expectations between the family members can cause confusion in the relationship. In addition the impact of diverse cultural experiences and lack of a common language also impact on the process. Considering these issues the workshop looks at what we have learned in a domestic context that can support these families in the tracing and reunion process. www.ifco.info

Mairie Cregan is the founder of the Aurelia Trust, and organisation dedicated to the care of institutionalised children in Eastern Europe (primarily Romania). Along with Carmen Secareanu of Caleidoscope, she was instrumental in the setting up of foster care for institutionalised children in Romania and along with two other NGOs, Trade Aid and Focus on Romania forced the closure of the infamous Negru Voda orphanage in 2006. She is a pioneer of the instigation and piloting of alternative care systems in Romania. The Aurelia Trust remains active in Romania working alongside the Romanian statutory services and local NGOs in promoting best practice in the care of abandoned children and support of vulnerable families. Mairie was a registered foster carer for almost thirty years and was herself raised as a birth child in a fostering family. She is also an adoptive mother through domestic (foster care adoption) and inter country adoption. Mairie currently works between Tusla (Child and Family Agency as an adoption social worker) and as a lecturer in University College Cork where she lectures in fostering, suicide intervention, group work and social work in health care settings. She is a founder member and researcher with Feileacain (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland) and is completing a PhD in the adoption of children from long term foster care - a ten year study due for completion in 2015.

Much of Carmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has been in the development of organisations supporting civil society in post- communist Romania, including groups dedicated to the support of victims of domestic violence, animal welfare, community groups, support organisations for vulnerable families and also organisations focussed on the rights of children and adults with disabilities. Carmen lectures at third level in the area of civil society and organisational and project management. She is the chief executive of an international training organisation which specialises in project management and governance and along with Mairie Cregan is currently designing a training programme for professionals involved in the Search and Reunion Services in Romania.

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WORKSHOP SESSION V IFCO Networks: Creating the Global Village

Presenter

Prof. Myrna McNitt

Organisation

When

International Foster Organisation USA Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00-10:30

Country

Care

Myrna has been a presenter at many IFCO conferences.

This session will provide an open forum discussion on the importance of IFCO networks in carrying out the mission of the development of family based care for children in need of alternative care. • Participants will identify needs where IFCO may be of assistance in developing foster care • Participants will share examples of good practice in developing foster care services • Participants will exchange information to continue network activities for the future

Conference Programme

Myrna McNitt has extensive experience in direct practice in juvenile justice, child protection, foster care and adoption in the USA as well as Kenya and England. In England she was the clinical team leader providing foster care services through the use of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care to severely disturbed adolescents.

Myrna is on the Board of Trustees of the International Foster Care Organization as the chair of the Training, Conferences, and Projects Committee. For IFCO Myrna has provided consultation and training in Japan, Malta, Ireland, England, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Ecuador, Slovakia, Romania, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Hungary, and Canada. She has provided consultation in Hungary, Kosovo and Azerbaijan working with international non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and national ministries to introduce foster care services.

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WORKSHOP SESSION V Starting Foster Care in India: A Strategic and Sustainable Approach

Presenter

Ms Vasundhra Sachdeva

Organisation

ITM University, Gurgaon

Country When

India Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00-10:30

Vasundhra Sachdeva is an advocate by profession in India, with a career spanning more than 15 years. Vasundhra completed her Post Graduation in Law from Kurukshetra University, India, with specialization at Criminal Law.

Slapping or beating are considered as correctional strategies by parents in India. Gender discrimination and inequality in the Indian society compelled Vasundhra to leave the Government job and study law.

Vasundhra has primarily focused her work on issues dealing with protection and rehabilitation of minor rape victims and trafficking of children for sexual exploitation. She is quite renowned in the High Court at Delhi for her zest to fight for social welfare issues and has also been awarded by the Delhi Police, as a recognition for her work in the field of social welfare. Child Welfare League of America provided her the opportunity to visit USA for seven months to understand Foster Care in two states, Utah and Kansas.

Vasundhra joined Prayas Institute of Juvenile Justice. It was here that she realized that the legal framework of India for children is institution centric.

During her vast career, she has worked with the Employee State Insurance Corporation, a Government Organization, Prayas Institute of Juvenile Justice, a well known and reputed NGO and Tata Consultancy Services the number One IT Company of India operating in 46 countries.

Her preliminary introduction to non institutional care was through a Team of Child Welfare League of America in January 2004.

Presently, she is pursuing her Ph.D on “ Institutional Care, a violation of human rights of children : An Indian Perspective” from ITM University, Gurgaon India. For her research she wants to visit various countries, understand the legal and operational aspects of foster care system and recommend a comprehensive Foster Care System to the Government of India along with Mr. Ian Anand Forber Pratt, Founder of Foster Care India.

Currently she is doing research on “Institutional Care, a violation of child’s right to a family An Indian Perspective”. The objective is to implement Foster Care System in India and fortunately, the work has already been initiated by Ian Anand Forber-Pratt, Executive Director of Foster Care India. Vasundhra and Ian both have the same goal i.e. to create a nationwide foster care system for a country with over one billion people. This workshop will walk you through his herculean task. There is an urgent need from International Agencies to support establishment of foster care system in India through, research and exchange programmes. IFCO has given us an opportunity to take advantage of well established mechanism of foster care system of European countries which are tested, feasible and achievable.

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WORKSHOP SESSION V Foster Care Services Developed with the Participation of SOS Children’s Village International CEE/CIS - Overview of Existing Practices

Presenter

Ms Ibolya Juhaszne Czegledy

Organisation

When

SOS Children’s Village International CEE/CIS Hungary Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

09:00-09:30

Country

Member Associations of SOS Children’s Village International CEE, CIS are active participants in the de-industrialisation procedure of state child care system. The expertise and knowledge in family based care, collected during long period in traditional and innovative SOS Children’s Villages are shared. SOS member associations in partnership with state social authorities and other NGOs in many countries develop foster care services. The presentation offers overview about the different level involvement of SOS in state foster care in SOS Children’ Village International Region CEE/CIS.

Conference Programme

Ibolya Czegledy Education: special teacher for mental and hearing disabled children/adults Bárczi Gusztáv College. Postgraduate studies: peach therapist Bárczi Gusztáv College. High level education in pedagogy - university lecturer in pedagogy and special pedagogy - University of Szeged. Working experience: wide range of experience in teaching from early age development till rehabilitation for people with brain dysfunction, lecturer in teacher education. At present Program Advisor in SOS Children’s Village International Region CEE/CIS, based in Hungary, Budapest. Working for SOS since the first SOS Children’s Village was build in Hungary (1983) on voluntary basis; employed as professional co-worker in SOS since 2001.

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W5-4-2

WORKSHOP SESSION V Children’s Houses

Presenter

Mr Ricard Calvo

Organisation

Fundacio Accio Social Infancia

Country When

Spain Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

09:30-10:00

Ricard Calvo, Psychologist and Social Educator, Autonomous University Barcelona; Family Therapist Master in St. Pau Hospital in Autonomous University of Barcelona. International Master in Leadership and Coaching. EADA. Barcelona; Public Social Politician Master in ESADE. Barcelona.

Children’s Houses is a program from the Catalonia Government. We are focusing on the capacities and potentialities of the families, not in their difficulties or deficiencies. We work with children and their families inside the residential care building. We work with short groups of families. Owner focus is the reintegration. We try to promote transition from institutional to community-based care. We offer different levels of attention: (residential, open centre, home attention) to provide dynamics of normalization to the family. We work with cases in the social environment in a preventive way. Enhance the administrative guardianship. We change control attitude for help attitude. The family is implicated in all the dynamics of the service. We offer complementary psychological and pedagogic attention to the families and to the professional team. We help the social educators in their tasks and supervision.

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Professor of psychology and social education (1998 - 2000) University of Girona. Psychologist of International Adoptions Area (2000 -2003). Psychotherapist in a public family therapy centre in Girona. (1998 – 2010). Actually assistant Director of Children Social Action Foundation (2010 until now).

www.conference.ifco.info

I Conference Programme

W5-4-3

WORKSHOP SESSION V Innovative Approach of SOS Ukraine for the Best Interests of Ukrainian Children in Need

Presenter

Mr Andriy Chuprikov

Organisation

When

Managing Director, International Charitable Organization SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

30-minute workshop

Time

10:00-10:30

Country

SOS Children’s Villages has been implementing the family-based care for children for 65 years. SOS Children’s Villages started its activities in Ukraine more than 10 years ago, and during this period, despite providing family type care, the organization was considered as an institutional care according to the local law. SOS Children’s Villages has program policies and standards aimed at protecting children rights and based on the principles of considering the best interest of the child, involving children in decision-making, focusing on child development within a caring family environment and supported by strong social networks. These principles in particular have allowed SOS Ukraine to implement reforms in Programming and Legal area in order to be de-facto and dejure family type alternative care for kids. Family forms of care were set up instead of form with institutional features. Now it is family-type homes and foster families with SOS mother or SOS couple. Additionally, one of Ukrainian SOS Children’s Villages is integrated into the community. Also SOS Ukraine has combined work with families at risk and work with family-based care into the one program. That reform allowed creating child care and protection system in the regions, so children there do not have to be placed into the institutions. Furthermore, state institution has been closed in one region due to improving protection system that guarantees children rights and meets community’s needs.

Conference Programme

New approach allowed implementing many innovations in SOS Children’s Villages Programmes like short-term foster care families, admission of couples to be SOS parents, reintegration from institutional care to biological families, and reintegration from family based care to biological families. Reforms in SOS Ukraine have integrated the new practice with experience, accumulated over the years. It has shown that there is no need to be afraid of changes if it meets the best interests of the child. Andriy Chuprikov is Managing Director of International Charitable Organization “Charitable Foundation “SOS Children’s Villages” in Ukraine, which is one of the leading NGO, who fights for children’s rights in Ukraine and is a member of worldwide SOS Children’s Villages International federation. Professional activities of Mr Chuprikov include working in human rights protection and charitable programs more than ten years; successful experience as a business consultant, trainer and coach more than 15 years; working in Tacis EU and World Bank Group business development projects about five years. Public activities of Mr Chuprikov is including UK-Ukraine Professional Network under British Council in Ukraine. Mr Chuprikov has been elected as a Head of the UUPN Management Board for three years. In addition Mr Chuprikov is an Advisor in League of Professional Women, a Ukrainian NGO, promoting the active role of women in the economic and society’s life of Ukraine. Mr Chuprikov has background in social science and management. He received Master degree in Science of Administration from Andrews University, USA; Master degree in International Economic and Management from Kiev National University of Economic, and also he is a Specialist in Administrative and Civil Law, degree received from Moscow International Independent University on Environmental & Political Science. He has participated in many postgraduate courses and trainings in Management and Organisational Behaviour at Oxford University, UK; EDAW-TSD, France; EuronAid, Vienna, Austria; ADRA Professional Institute, Washington DC, USA, etc.

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W6-1

WORKSHOP SESSION VI Recognising and Responding to Child Abuse

Presenter

Dr Jennifer Yeager

Organisation

When

Lecturer in Psychology, Waterford Institute Of Technology Ireland Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Country

Dr Jennifer Yeager is a doctoral level psychologist with expertise in sexual violence research. Both Jenniferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Masters and PhD degrees have involved working directly with victims of rape and sexual abuse. Her current research is investigating the role of cognitive scripting in adherence to rape myths in Irish young adults. Jennifer has completed counseling training with the Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and was part of the original team, which rolled out the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at Waterford Regional Hospital in 2004.

This workshop will present the current literature on recognising and responding to child abuse and discuss the practicalities and limitations of this data. The workshop will focus on a critical consideration of both the academic findings as well as practical tools for adults involved in the foster care of sexually abused children.

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I Conference Programme

W6-2

WORKSHOP SESSION VI The Foster Family and Mediation

Presenter

Dr Sinead Conneely

Co-presenter

Dr Roisin O’Shea

Organisation

When

Waterford Institute Technology Ireland Friday, 29 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00-12:30

Country

Self-help rather than adversarial proceedings, as a means of maintaining harmonious relationships, under-pinned the ancient customs and law of the East, and anthropological evidence exists of a form of mediation in African custom. However it was the 1960s, and the emergence of a “rights” based culture, particularly in the United States, that renewed the interest in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. While still evolving as a profession in Ireland, there is ample evidence internationally to show that mediation can be an effective early intervention mechanism. This paper seeks to identify the appropriate mediation model to be adopted in foster family disputes, and through such a model to explore how the State can respond quickly and effectively to the needs of children and their foster families.

Dr Sinead Conneely is a law lecturer in Waterford Institute of Technology and is a qualified barrister. Her PhD was in family law, specifically examining the origin and operation of family mediation on the island of Ireland. She is currently working in a family mediation pilot programme, to develop the best model for resolving family disputes. She is also Chairperson of a school for children with special needs. Dr Roisin O’Shea has recently completed a groundbreaking study of the Irish family courts, and works full time as a mediator, with her own thriving and expanding practice, ARC Mediation, which is based in Waterford. Roisin has developed and driven the family mediation pilot project for the South East, which aims to develop and improve practice in the field of family mediation. Roisin is also an accomplished painter and made her living as an artist for many years before coming back to study law.

Roisin and I will follow this paper with workshops on mediation skills which will be taught through role play by participants and discussion of experiences in group sessions. If numbers are high, we will ask other, qualified mediators to assist as it is important to work in small groups (no more than 15) rather than in open sessions.

Conference Programme

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Youth Programme: EmpowerMEnt TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2014 Day 1 12:00 – 18:00

Arrival, accommodation and registration Building B, Main Atrium, Registration / Information Desk

19:00 – 21:00

Opening ceremony with welcome reception Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2014 Day 2 09:00 - 10:30

Introductions, overview and context of IFCO Building C, Room FTG23

Get2KnowU Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jean Anne Kennedy, International Foster Care Organisation (Ireland) Réidín Dunne, Peter Lane and Joanna Seery, EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 10:30 – 11:00

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

11:00 – 12:30

createXchange - Global Youth in Care Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Carrie Wilson, Claire Haymonds and Craig Anderson, Care Leavers Association (UK)

12:30 – 13:45

Lunch The Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

WORKSHOP SESSION I Building C, Room FTG23

My Journey so Far and the Next Chapter Réidín Dunne, Peter Lane and Joanna Seery, EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 15:30 – 16:00

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:00

WORKSHOP SESSION II Building C, Room FTG23

Fostered Warriors Réidín Dunne, Peter Lane and Joanna Seery, EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland)

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I Conference Programme

17:00 – 17:30

Debrief I Building C, Room FTG23

Get2KnowU (Part 2) Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jean Anne Kennedy, International Foster Care Organisation (Ireland), EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 17:45 – 19:00

IFCO Annual General Meeting Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

20:00 – late

Gala Dinner Tower Hotel

THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST 2014 Day 3 9:00 – 10:30

WORKSHOP SESSION III Building C, Room FTG23

10:30 – 11:00

Dramatic Journey EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) Break

11:00 – 12:30

WORKSHOP SESSION IV

Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

Building C, Room FTG23

“Nearest and Dearest in Children’s Lives in Child Protection”. Your Experience of Family Relationships in Child Protection? Sami Isoniemi, Waranyoo Ronkainen and Pipsa Vario, Pesäpuu ry (Finland) 12:30 – 13:45

Lunch The Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

WORKSHOP SESSION V Building C, Room FTG23

Global Youth in Care Network: Next Step Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jean Anne Kennedy, International Foster Care Organisation (Ireland) 15:30 – 16:00

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:00

WORKSHOP SESSION VI Outside / Building C, Room FTG23

The EPIC Quest EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland)

Conference Programme

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17:00 – 17:30

Debrief II Building C, Room FTG23

Get2KnowU (Part 3) Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jean Anne Kennedy, International Foster Care Organisation (Ireland) EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 17:30 – 22:00

Social programme and dinner Trip to Tramore

FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST 2014 Day 4 9:00 – 10:30

WORKSHOP SESSION VII College Street Campus, WIT

Preparation for presentation at the Conference Closing Ceremony Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA), Jean Anne Kennedy, International Foster Care Organisation (Ireland), EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 10:30 – 11:00

Break

11:00 – 12:30

IFCO 2014 Youth Closing Ceremony College Street Campus, WIT

Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 12:30 – 14:00 14:00 – 16:00

Lunch IFCO 2014 Closing Ceremony The Chapel, WIT College Street Campus

16:00 – 16:00

Break

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I Conference Programme

Youth Programme: Advocacy TUESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2014 Day 1 12:00 – 18:00

Arrival, accommodation and registration Building B, Main Atrium, Registration / Information Desk

19:00 – 21:00

Opening ceremony with welcome reception Building B, Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2014 Day 2 09:00 - 10:30

Introductions, overview and context of IFCO Building C, Room FTG23

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

11:00 – 12:30

createXchange - Global Youth in Care Building C, Room FTG23

Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Carrie Wilson, Claire Haymonds and Craig Anderson, Care Leavers Association (UK) 12:30 – 13:45

Lunch The Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

WORKSHOP SESSION I Building C, Room FTG14

Development of an IFCO Position Paper: Life AfterCare Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jessica Grimm, Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) 15:30 – 16:00

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:00

WORKSHOP SESSION II Building C, Room FTG14

What Helps What Harms: A Global Policy Initiative Lead by Youth Advocates” Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jessica Grimm, Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA)

Conference Programme

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17:00 – 17:30

Debrief I Building C, Room FTG23

IFCO Annual General Meeting Main Auditorium, WIT Main Campus

20:00 – late

Gala Dinner Tower Hotel

THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST 2014 Day 3 9:00 – 10:30

WORKSHOP SESSION III Building C, Room FTG14

10:30 – 11:00

What Helps What Harms IFCO 2014: Hear Our Global Youth Voice Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jessica Grimm, Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

11:00 – 12:30

WORKSHOP SESSION IV Building C, Room FTG14

“Bringing WHWH to Scale: How to Implement this Youth Led Initiative in Your Own Country” Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) Jessica Grimm, Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) 12:30 – 13:45

Lunch The Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

13:45 – 15:30

WORKSHOP SESSION V Building C, Room FTG23

Break Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

16:00 – 17:00

WORKSHOP SESSION VI Outside / Building C, Room FTG23

The EPIC Quest EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) www.ifco.info

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I Conference Programme

17:00 – 17:30

Debrief II Building C, Room FTG23

Social programme and dinner Trip to Tramore

FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST 2014 Day 4 9:00 – 10:30

WORKSHOP SESSION VII College Street Campus, WIT

Break

11:00 – 12:30

IFCO 2014 Youth Closing Ceremony College Street Campus, WIT

Lacy Kendrick Burk, International Foster Care Organisation/Youth M.O.V.E. National (USA) EPIC – Empowering People in Care, (Ireland) 12:30 – 14:00 14:00 – 16:00

Lunch IFCO 2014 Closing Ceremony The Chapel, WIT College Street Campus

16:00 – 16:00

Break

Conference Programme

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Workshop Abstracts Day 2

Introductions: Empowerment & ADVOCACY Get2KnowU

createXchange - Global Youth in Care

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/Youth M.O.V.E. National

Organisation

IFCO/Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Co-presenters

Organisation

IFCO

Country

Ireland

Co-presenters

Organisation Country

Organisation

Ms RĂŠidĂn Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery EPIC

Ms Carrie Wilson, Ms Claire Haymonds and Mr Craig Anderson Care Leavers Association

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Country

Ireland

Session

90-minute workshop

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Time

11:00-12:30

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00-10:30

Building foundations as a group is very important. Our first session together will have an emphasis on name-games, having fun and setting out our intentions of how we will work together as a group. We will introduce IFCO and EPIC, and go through what youth can expect from the EmpowerMEnt track and the Advoacy track so they can choose which youth programme they want to participate in.

www.ifco.info

The createXchange Global Youth in Care Network is an initiative started by care leavers and youth in care who are members of IFCO or who have attended IFCO youth programmes. It is a youth movement aiming to connect young people all over the world to learn, exchange and partner. Lacy will introduce createXchange and the Care Leavers Association from the UK will talk about what they do in their country to engage, support and empower care leavers.

www.conference.ifco.info

I Conference Programme

Day 2

WorkshopS I & II: EmpowerMENT

Day 2

Development of an IFCO Position Paper: Life AfterCare

My Journey so Far and the Next Chapter

Organisation

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery EPIC

Country

Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

105-minute workshop

Time

13:45 – 15:30

Presenters

This session will be a creative session where young people are given the opportunity to make their own timelines. On their timelines young people will think about their journey so far – marking significant hobbies, interests, occasions and relationships and much using art materials to do so. The next chapter will involve writing a letter to their future selves – i.e. themselves in 1 year. This letter will be placed in a rocket shaped time capsule. The capsule will be opened at the 2015 IFCO conference. This is an exciting opportunity for young people to think about their journey into the future..

Fostered Warriors

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jessica Grimm

Organisation

Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

105-minute workshop

Time

13:45 – 15:30

This session lays the foundation for the Advocacy Track and outlines what a position paper is, and why the Youth Committee of IFCO thinks it’s so important that we have one outlining our stance on AfterCare for careleavers around the globe. As part of the foundation, we will receive training on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Alternative Care Guidelines, and other influential standards and documents. Participants will leave with a larger understanding of documents and policies which govern life AfterCare, and will have an indepth understanding of the goals and intentions of IFCO’s AfterCare Position Paper.

Presenters

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery

Organisation

EPIC

Country

Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

60-minute workshop

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Time

16:00 – 17:00

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jessica Grimm

Organisation

Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

60-minute workshop

Time

16:00 – 17:00

What Helps What Harms: A Global Policy Initiative Lead by Youth Advocates

This session will be about Foster Care in Irish Myth, Legend and Folklore- Young people will learn about and the Irish Folk Hero Cú Chulainn to explore what an important part Foster Care played in Celtic/Tribal Ireland. Young people will also have the opportunity to talk about how foster care can be seen in the Folklore of many other countries across Europe.

WorkshopS I & II: ADVOCACY

Conference Programme

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This session provides an overveiw of What Helps What Harms (WHWH), the impact it has had on young leaders all over America, the changes that have happened because of the WHWH initiative, and the organization that brought it all together (Youth MOVE). Led by the Executive Director of Youth MOVE, and the Youth Advocate who directs the WHWH project, participants will have an understanding of the WHWH Initiative, how this will be employed as one method of development for the IFCO AfterCare Position Paper, and the intentions of IFCO to utilize this method during the Advocacy track of the conference to develop an IFCO 2014 WHWH.

Day 2

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Organisation

IFCO

Country

Ireland

Co-presenters Organisation

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seer EPIC

Country

Ireland

When

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Session

30-minute debrief evaluation 17:00 – 17:30

Organisation

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery EPIC

Country

Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00 – 10:30

Presenters

This session will be a drama based workshop. It will be very interactive and a lot of fun. The theme of the drama workshop will be “Fostered Warriors” (to follow on from session 2). Young people will have the opportunity to create a piece of devised drama at the end of the session.

‘Nearest and dearest in children’s lives in child protection’. Your experience of family relationships in child protection?

and

We set out this morning to get to know each other, to learn more about each other, our countries and our organisations. This workshop is a chance to check back in with both the EmpowerMEnt track and the Advocacy track and share your thoughts, feelings and what you learned at this conference so far.

www.ifco.info

WorkshopS III & IV: EmpowerMENT Dramatic Journey

DEBRIEF I: EMPOWERMENT & ADVOCACY

Get2KnowU (Part 2)

Time

Day 3

Presenters

Sami Isoniemi, Waranyoo Ronkainen and Pipsa Vario

Organisation

Pesäpuu ry

Country

Finland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

11:00 – 12:30

www.conference.ifco.info

I Conference Programme

The aim is to get involved the close people in the child’s life in all steps of child welfare procedures. Also our aim is to challenge the authorities to see the people around the child as a positive resource when they prove to be such.

The Survivors team in Pesäpuu is a national focus group of young people of ages 18-28 with personal experience of alternative care. Now they develop child welfare as experts of experience. Lähemmäs and Survivors team have worked together to explore the relationships in children’s lives. The Survivors team has focused on working with young people, and Lähemmäs with professionals, parents, relatives and people close to a child.

Bringing WHWH to Scale: How to Implement this Youth Led Initiative in Your Own Country

In this workshop we will hear and see multiple messages of children and young people, parents, relatives and professionals talking, describing and writing about family relationships. We will also see and test some professional tools for exploring and strengthening of the relationships of children and people close to them. Come to work with us and consider changing relationships and the nearest and dearest people around children in child protection!

Day 3

Workshops III & IV: ADVOCACY

What Helps What Harms IFCO 2014: Hear Our Global Youth Voice Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter Country

Ms Jessica Grimm Youth M.O.V.E. National USA

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00 – 10:30

Organisation

Conference Programme

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter Country

Ms Jessica Grimm Youth M.O.V.E. National USA

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute workshop

Time

09:00 – 10:30

Organisation

Led by IFCO Board Member and Youth Committee Chair Lacy Kendrick Burk, this session centers around replication of the WHWH process and document development that occurred in Session 3. Participants will have the chance to design a plan to implement WHWH in their own country, have active dialogue on the powerful impact they can each make, and troubleshoot in advance with the creator of the WHWH project. Participants will leave with a plan of action for WHWH implementation in their own country, and for participation in the continued development of the Global IFCO AfterCare Position Paper.

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Day 3

WorkshopS V & VI: EmpowerMENT & Advocacy

Day 3

DEBRIEF II: EMPOWERMENT & ADVOCACY

Get2KnowU (Part 3)

Global Youth in Care Network

Presenter

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Presenters

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/ Youth M.O.V.E. National

Organisation

IFCO/Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Organisation

IFCO

Organisation

IFCO

Country

Ireland

Co-presenters

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

105-minute workshop

Organisation

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seer EPIC

Time

13:45 – 15:30

Country When

Lacy Kendrick Burk and Jean Anne Kennedy are board members of the IFCO (International Foster Care Organisation) and lead the createXchange Global Youth in Care Network. Every year, we create opportunities for youth at IFCO events to be consulted on what createXchange should focus on. This workshop will be showcasing what our members have been involved in over the last 2 years since createXchange was launched and to decide what this group of young people think the next steps of growing this youth network should be.

Session Time

Ireland Thursday, 28 August 2014 30-minute debrief evaluation 17:00 – 17:30

and

Over the last two days together we have formed friendships and alliances, used our voices to make decisions and learned about other countries, other cultures and other organisations. We will check back in again with both the EmpowerMEnt track and the Advocacy track and share our thoughts, feelings and what you learned at this conference so far.

The EPIC Quest

Organisation

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery EPIC

Country

Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

60-minute fun activity

Time

06:00 – 17:30

Presenters

This session will be an outdoor activity based session where the young people will work together in teams in order to complete a treasure hunt. This session will be a session filled with action and adventure! www.ifco.info

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I Conference Programme

Day 4

Workshop VII: EmpowerMENT & Advocacy

Youth Evaluation and Closing Ceremony

Preparation for Presentation at the Conference Closing Ceremony

Presenters

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Organisation

IFCO

Country

Ireland

Co-presenters

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery

Presenters

Ms Lacy Kendrick Burk

Organisation

IFCO/Youth M.O.V.E. National

Country

USA

Co-presenter

Ms Jean Anne Kennedy

Organisation

IFCO

Country

Ireland

Co-presenters

Ms Réidín Dunne, Mr Peter Lane and Ms Joanna Seery

Organisation

Country

EPIC Ireland

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

When

Thursday, 28 August 2014

Session

90-minute preparation

Session

90-minute preparation

Time

11:00 – 12:30

Time

09:00 – 10:30

Using all the workshops and sessions of IFCO2014 as possible resources, both youth programmes will prepare some sort of presentation to the Conference Closing Ceremony later today. There is no limit to how or what the youth create and say. They will plan what they want the other delegates at this conference to know or hear about based on what they learned, what they shared and who they are as young people involved in care systems.

IFCO 2014 Youth Closing Ceremony

Day 4

Conference Programme

As our final activity together, we will reflect on our experiences together and individually, and evaluate the IFCO2014 programme as a whole. We will celebrate each other and what we have achieved together and look forward to returning home. It will be another chance to share our feelings, lessons and experiences formally and informally.

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Children’s Programme The Children’s programme has been kindly sponsored by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2014 Day 2 09:00 - 10:30

Creative workshop for children in both age groups (led by Helen Arthur and volunteers) Building C , FTG Rooms, WIT Main Campus This will involve: • interactive games • artwork, music • drama • movement activities

10:30 - 11:00

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

Creative workshop for children in both age groups (led by Helen Arthur and volunteers) Building C , FTG Rooms This will involve: • interactive games • artwork, music • drama • movement activities 12:30 - 13:45

Lunch with parents /guardians Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

14:00 - 17:30

Hurling demonstration Building C , FTG Rooms, WIT Main Campus Everyone will have a chance to have a go! Teddy bear’s picnic Building C , FTG Rooms, WIT Main Campus Time to meet your foster Teddy! One for each child. Storytelling session Building C , FTG Rooms, WIT Main Campus • eco-fairy tails and • stories with an environmental twist

20:00 to 23:00

Entertainment with a surprise guest at the gala dinner The Tower Hotel

Quiet supervised activities will be available also.

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THURSDAY, 28 AUGUST Day 3 09:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:00 11:00 - 12:30

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

12:30 - 13:45

Lunch with parents /guardians Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

14:00 - 17:30

Visit to Dunmore East Adventure centre • water based activities such as Sea Kayaking, and ‘Wibet Wipeout’ are on offer for the children • land based activities such as archery and climbing can also be undertaken at the centre Visit to the park in picturesque Dunmore East if the weather and time allow

A bus will be available to take the group to Dunmore East which is a pretty fishing Village approximately 12km from Waterford. The children will be accompanied by IFCO volunteers at all times. The Dunmore East Adventure centre offers a range of activities for young people of all ages, it provides wet suits, helmets and tuition for the children from experienced staff. You may bring your own wetsuit if you wish. For the Thursday afternoon activity you need to bring: • Swimming Togs/suit • Towel • Aqua Shoes/ Booties (available to purchase at the Adventure Centre), or old runners/trainers you don’t mind getting wet

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FRIDAY, 29 AUGUST Day 4 09:00 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:00 11:00 - 12:30

Break Building B, Main Atrium, WIT Main Campus

12:30 - 13:45

Lunch with parents /guardians Building D, the Gallery Restaurant, WIT Main Campus

14:00 - 17:30

Celebration of the childrens’ work at the closing ceremony

Important: This programme is subject to change due to weather conditions and numbers of participants.

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Creative Workshops for Children Talented Ms Helen Arthur will be a facilitator of the morning creative sessions for children. These workshops will provide a safe space in which children will be supported to explore the themes of identity, belonging and family in fun and creative ways. Children will be facilitated in getting to know each other through interactive games before moving into artwork, music, drama and movement activities to explore the chosen themes. Workshops will be facilitated in a light-hearted and sensitive way with the intention of enabling all children to find their voice and share their thoughts and feelings. A celebration of work done by children over the three mornings of the conference will be presented at the closing ceremony so that all attendees might have an opportunity to share in their creative journey. Helen is a lecturer in Social Care and Early Childhood Studies at Waterford Institute of Technology. She is a trained Music Therapist and Humanistic Integrative Counsellor and has considerable experience of working creatively with families, adults, adolescents and children in a variety of settings. Helen actively pursues her own creative interests and greatly enjoys shared music making, drumming, storytelling, dancing, art and craft. She is looking forward to meeting you and your children at the conference and creating a space for them to explore their creativity.

Practical aspects of the Children’s programme • Our programme will run from 09:00 to 17:30 for children aged five years to thirteen years. We will have a break for lunch from 12:30 to 13:45, during which the children will be collected by their parents and guardians. We will provide entertainment for the children during the gala dinner 21:00 to 23:00 also. • Our session rooms will be conveniently located near the conference session rooms. • There are two age groupings Group 1: 5-9 years Group 2: 10-13 years. • Registered children will be signed in and out of the session rooms by a parent or guardian. Children will be supervised at all times during the hours of the childcare programme by IFCO childcare programme volunteers. • Our volunteers will be fully Garda (police) vetted and adhere to the Children’s First Guidelines (2011)1. • Healthy snacks and drinks will be provided for the children each day mid-morning and mid -afternoon. • Please make sure children are wearing practical comfortable clothing so that children can move freely and get messy! We aim to have fun. • We will contact a parent/guardian immediately if a child is unwell or wishes to be reunited with a carer. • The highlight of our programme will be a celebration of the childrens’ work from the creative morning sessions at the closing ceremony. 1

Children First Guidance: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children was published in July 2011. The Guidance sets out a number of key messages relating to the duty to protect children. Among these are that the safety and welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility, that children will have safer lives where everyone is attentive to their wellbeing and that people who work with children across a range of areas understand their responsibility for safe practice and the reporting of concerns. It provides greater clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect and sets out specific protocols for Social Workers in the Child and Family Agency, Gardaí and other front line staff in dealing with suspected abuse and neglect of children (Department of Children and Youth Affairs 2014).

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Previous IFCO Conferences One of the key activities of IFCO is our annual conference, which offers a unique opportunity for foster carers, social workers and other stakeholders, from across the world, to share information and learn about global fostering advancements. IFCO holds regional and international conferences at locations around the world. These conferences are for children in foster care, foster carers, birth families and people who work in the areas of foster care and alternative care. At IFCO conferences, we encourage everyone to get involved and have their input into how quality care is provided, and how they feel about it. As a child or young person in foster care, we appreciate that you understand foster care in a unique way and can make a real contribution to our mission of making sure every child has a family. Our conferences are always well attended and very well received. We promote a fun, energetic and enthusiastic environment where foster carers, professionals, academics, children and young people have a voice.

Chronology Between 1981 and to date, we have staged 35 regional and international conferences in a wide range of locations: 2013 Osaka, Japan (International) 2012 Sofia, Bulgaria (Regional) 2011 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (International) 2010 Brighton, United Kingdom (Regional) 2009 Dublin, Ireland (International) 2007 Hamilton, New Zealand (International) Mellieha, Malta (Regional) 2006 Bratislava, Slovakia (Regional) Bucharest, Romania (Project) 2005 Madison, USA (International) 2004 Prague, Czech Republic (Regional) Paramaribo, Surinam (Regional) 2003 La Plata, Argentina (International) 2002 Tampere, Finland (Regional) 2001 Veldhoven, the Netherlands (International) 2000 Cork, Ireland (Regional) 1999 Melbourne, Australia (International)

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1998 Budapest, Hungary (Regional) Manilla, the Philippines (Regional)W 1997 Vancouver, Canada (International) 1996 Los Angeles, USA (Regional) 1995 Bergen, Norway (International) 1994 Berlin, Germany (Regional) 1993 Dublin, Ireland (International) 1992 Gent, Belgium (Regional) 1991 Jonkoping, Sweden (International) 1990 Athens, Greece (Regional) 1989 Michigan, USA (International) 1988 Lunteren, the Netherlands (Regional) 1987 Leeds, United Kingdom (International) 1985 Christchurch, New Zealand (Regional) 1983 Christchurch, New Zealand (Regional) 1982 Beekse Bergen, the Netherlands (Regional) 1981 Slagharen, the Netherlands (International) 1979 Oxford, United Kingdom (International)

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Wondering, what your next conference destination will be?

Tell Someone Who Cares : Caring for our children IFCO 2015 18th Biennial Conference Sydney , Australia November 8th-11th, 2015

Visit www.ifco2015.com.au for further details Care Organisation