Reintegration and Reunification of Children to Families · Founder of a foster care organization in India Global advocate for child care system reform 15 years of working with children

Reintegration and Reunification of Children to Families

Ian A Forber-Pratt, MSW

Ian’s lived and professional experience

Ian A Forber Pratt, MSW - [email protected]

Adopted from IndiaRaised in America in a mixed-race family

Direct practice work in the foster care system in AmericaFounder of a foster care organization in IndiaGlobal advocate for child care system reform

15 years of working with children and families

Current Positions:

Director of Global Advocacy

Children’s Emergency Relief International (CERI)

Executive Director

Institute for Child Welfare Innovation

Adjunct Faculty

The Brown School at Washington University in St

Louis

* Please note - the slides are text heavy so that they can stand alone later for those

unable to attend


Three Part Talk30 Minutes with 30 Minutes Q&A

(I may go a bit over 30 minutes; I tend to do that....)

Part I - Reintegration and Reunification

Part II - Systems Change at 10,000 ft

Part III - Practice Model


Goals of this presentation:

1. Challenge you so you can challenge me (in

real time or later via email);

2. share about the global care system reform that

is going on;

3. expose you to an actual intervention/ toolkit on

how to help children and families reunify and

reintegrate; and

4. leave you “hanging” and ready to know more.


PART IReintegration and Reunification


Reintegration: The process of a separated child making

what is anticipated to be a permanent transition back

to his or her immediate or extended family and

community (usually of origin), in order to receive

protection and care and to find a sense of belonging and

purpose in all spheres of life.

Reunification: The physical reuniting of a child and his

or her family or previous caregiver with the objective of

this placement becoming permanent.

Delap, E., & Wedge, J. (2016). Guidelines on children's reintegration. Report, Inter.


Case Study - it is not always the outcome you’d expect…. do you stop working?

• Two parents, HIV positive, one with tuberculosis• Left the hospital without their children directly after the birth of their second boy and

attempted suicide. They survived. • The children came into the care of the community partner (who provide residential

care to children). • Community partner eventually contacted the parents, counselled, connected them to

resources and started reunification.• Worked a reintegration plan and eventually children and parents reunited. • Parents eventually started showing increasingly risky behaviors (leaving the children

alone, being unpredictable with employment, disappearing sporadically without notice)

• Couple became pregnant with a third child and then relinquished all the children to the authorities (without telling the community partner)

• Community partner, during follow up, found the children in a government home (split up by age and traumatized)

• Currently two younger children being adopted together domestically and older children with the community partner and undergoing treatment for trauma.

SYSTEMS BELIEVE THAT ‘THE APPLE DOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE’

I work with community partners around

the globe who are willing to expand their

services to include more family-based

care (kinship care, family reunification

and reintegration, foster care and

community-based care.

This case study is real-life and real-time.

India


PART IISystems Change at 10,000 ft


Research shows that an institutional setting does not yield

positive results for a child’s development.

Children in institutions should be carefully and in their best

interest reintegrated with their families and communities

(with their culture of origin as the primary goal).

Children and families at risk of separation should be

supported, deescalated and sustainably empowered to

stabilize and sustain.


Delap, E., & Wedge, J. (2016). Guidelines on children's reintegration. Report, Inter.

Systems reunify, people reintegrate.


Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press. (my overlay of the policy change trajectory)


TAKE AWAY MESSAGE

De-institutionalization (specifically a greater focus on family reunification and reintegration) is a much needed reform to our global child care and protection systems when done correctly.

WITH A CAUTIONDe-institutionalization,

• if done too quickly, • without an understanding of implementation science, • and without multiple level buy-in (government, civil society, finances, etc.);

can cause harm!


PART IIIPractice Model


A promising practice model:

ACTIVE Family Support (AFS) by

Hope & Homes for Children

“This model of intervention has been prepared on the basis of 20 years of

practical experience in different countries, which are undergoing the process

of de-institutionalization. The model focuses on supporting children at risk of

institutionalization as well as on the reintegration of children into biological or

extended families. ”

- studied in Bosnia, Herzegovina, Rwanda, Bulgaria

I hope you’ll LOVE these forms - https://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Preventing%20Separation%20Bosnia.pdf

And here is the citation for the quote above - https://childhub.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/afs-eng.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=29502


https://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Preventing%20Separation%20Bosnia.pdf

https://childhub.org/en/system/tdf/library/attachments/afs-eng.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=29502

ACTIVE Family Support (AFS) by Hope & Homes for Children










Case Study - success is the “norm”, failure is an outlier

• Zoya and her sibling taken into custody by local authorities due to neglect include issues with access to food, parents’ substance abuse, lack of supervision.

• Interventions started with the parents from CERI that included:• Parenting classes• Substance abuse treatment• Education/ empowerment for Zoya (teaching self-advocacy and addressing trauma)• Coordinating services around the family• Case management and monitoring

• 2 years later the family presents a peaceful, clean environment during home visits and Zoya and her sibling are actively involved in CERI programming.

Photo used with written consent by both

Zoya and her biological parents. Zoya is

not her real name.

INSERT PHOTO

Moldova


To sum it up:

Globally, child protection systems are moving towards a wide range of family-based care options as the primary solutions for the needs of children and families.

Huge pushes like the Families First Act in the US (2018), the Opening Doors Campaign and networks of work in Africa, Asia and Latin/ South America are creating waves.

Children “on the move” are increasing globally and their need to be reintegrated with family is monumental.

Prompt question - With the tool I presented and the information I shared, what can you do to impact family reunification and reintegration globally that empowers us to care

for each other better?



Reintegration and Reunification of

Children to Families

Ian A Forber-Pratt, MSW

Documents

Reintegration and Reunification of Children to Families · Founder of a foster care organization in India Global advocate for child care system reform 15 years of working with children