Towards Deinstitutionalization

Rationale to guarantee the civil rights of all children; to guarantee the civil rights of all children; to redefine child welfare intervention; to redefine child welfare intervention; to modernized child welfare by providing adequate community services and social support to make desinstitutionalization possible; to modernized child welfare by providing adequate community services and social support to make desinstitutionalization possible; to rehabilitate and resettle orphaned and abandoned children in society; to rehabilitate and resettle orphaned and abandoned children in society; to bring about changes in the community to prevent the marginalization of orphaned and abandoned children to bring about changes in the community to prevent the marginalization of orphaned and abandoned children

Steps Adequate planning Adequate planning Community and workforce education Community and workforce education Workforce evaluation Workforce evaluation Community and workforce education Community and workforce education Pilot projects Pilot projects Community and workforce education Community and workforce education Move to scale Move to scale Community and workforce education Community and workforce education Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation

Adequate Planning Policy Framework Policy Framework Funding Funding Workforce Preparation & Evaluation Workforce Preparation & Evaluation Community Involvement Community Involvement Contingencies Contingencies Implementation is site/community specific (one model does not fit all) Implementation is site/community specific (one model does not fit all) Development of local/community resources and supports Development of local/community resources and supports –Community assessment –Community plan Staff Staff Programs/services Programs/services Training & technical assistance Training & technical assistance

Community and workforce education What is the message about institutionalization you want to convey to the community? What is the message about institutionalization you want to convey to the community? What is the best way to deliver the message to raise community consciousness? What is the best way to deliver the message to raise community consciousness? –Team of marketing professionals and social service professionals

Workforce evaluation Economic and emotional barriers to de- institutionalization Economic and emotional barriers to de- institutionalization Identification of the core competencies a foster parent should have Identification of the core competencies a foster parent should have Plan for training staff working in institutions to another role in the child protection system Plan for training staff working in institutions to another role in the child protection system

Community Involvement Orphaned or abandoned children is not just a problem the court system, Ministry staff, social workers or psychologists; it is our problem as a community. We need to band together and commit to the belief that no child should be raised in an institution. We need community partnership; we can’t do it alone. We can only succeed if the community is behind our efforts.

Pilot projects Small scale and evaluate efforts. Small scale and evaluate efforts. Incremental changes; evolution and not revolution. Incremental changes; evolution and not revolution. All change is threatening; pilot projects reduce the threat. All change is threatening; pilot projects reduce the threat. We learn from each experience. We learn from each experience. Not everything we do will be right or work, so we need to pilot test our efforts. Not everything we do will be right or work, so we need to pilot test our efforts.

Move to scale Every community moves to scale differently. Every community moves to scale differently. Use pilot project to inform moving to scale Use pilot project to inform moving to scale –Challenges –Successes –Process of change

Monitoring and Evaluation Evaluation plan must be developed from the beginning. Evaluation plan must be developed from the beginning. –Tell us what works and doesn’t work. –Provides evidence to critics. Must include qualitative and quantitative; best if it includes both standardized measures and measure developed specifically for project. Must include qualitative and quantitative; best if it includes both standardized measures and measure developed specifically for project.

Triage/phase in Infants & toddlers (under 5) without major special needs Infants & toddlers (under 5) without major special needs Latency age children (6-12) Latency age children (6-12) Teens (12+) & children with special needs Teens (12+) & children with special needs

What to expect Resistance Resistance More problems then solutions More problems then solutions More things that go wrong then right More things that go wrong then right

How to respond Resistance—keep message & vision in the forefront Resistance—keep message & vision in the forefront More problems then solutions—problem solve; learn from mistakes; be humble (a journey with an old map) More problems then solutions—problem solve; learn from mistakes; be humble (a journey with an old map) More things that go wrong then right—keep perspective; change is difficult; the outcome is right but the path might be difficult More things that go wrong then right—keep perspective; change is difficult; the outcome is right but the path might be difficult KEEP THE VISION

Simultaneous not sequential

Small Group Activity Choose one of the steps Choose one of the steps Develop a plan of how you would implement it in your community Develop a plan of how you would implement it in your community Identify the barriers you are likely to encounter Identify the barriers you are likely to encounter Plan for how you would deal with each barrier Plan for how you would deal with each barrier