Child Welfare Challenges in Developing Nations

1. Child Welfare Challenges in Developing Nations Myrna McNitt, ACSWLecturer Dominican University Graduate School of Social Work International Foster Care Organization Board of Trustees

2. Aims of Session • Identify the primary reasons children are left vulnerable in the global community; • Understand the UNCRC as a human rights document protecting children; • Understand the significance of the inclusion of global content in social work education; • Identify the connection between the University and INGO: • Dominican Graduate School of Social Work and the International Foster Care Organization • The role played in working with nation states and local authorities to protect children.

3. Children in the World 2.2 billion Source unicef

4. Children in USA 73,934,272 Source datacenter.kidscount.org

5. What do you think the challenges are…?

6. Vulnerability • Chronic poverty • Natural Disasters • Pandemic health crisis-HIV/AIDS • Moving Across Borders: Refugees & Migration • Human trafficking • Violence from armed conflict • All forms of abuse, neglect, family violence and maltreatment

7. Children living in poverty Almost half of the world-3 billion people-of them children, live on less than $2.50 a day (Shah, 2012) Poverty is the single greatest risk factor for children. www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty

8. Child Poverty in USA • Children represent a disproportionate share of the poor in the United States • Children are 24 percent of the total population, • but 36 percent of the poor population. • In 2010, 16.4 million children, or 22.0 percent, were poor. SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, Report P60, n. 238, Table B-2, pp. 68-73.

9. Defining Poverty-Jeffery Sachs Extreme poverty: lacking basic needs for survival: including food, drinking water, sanitation, health care, education and adequate shelter. Moderate poverty: basic needs are met, but just barely. Relative poverty: household income level well below the average national income. In high-income countries a lack of access to entertainment & recreation, and to quality health care, education, and other perquisites for upward social mobility.

10. The good news is progress in reaching Millennium Development Goals • The number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen; • Two billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources; • The share of slum dwellers in urban areas declined from 39 per cent in 2000 to 33 per cent in 2012, improving the lives of at least 100 million people. (http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/publications/mdg-report-2012.html)

11. But • Hunger remains a global challenge. • Additionally, progress has also been slow in reducing child under-nutrition, with close to a third of children in Southern Asia deemed underweight in 2010. (http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/publications/mdg-report-2012.html)

12. A Child’s View “Poor people are so hungry they’ve got stones where their hearts should be, and no time to feel pity for the fates of others. Still, I’d like so much for someone here to take my hand, to look at me with kindness. Won’t anyone listen to me, for once? It’s as if I were invisible. No one sees me; I’m too small for them….” Nujood Ali, Age ten and divorced p. 14

13. Pandemic health: HIV/AIDS in the World • Women 15 and older-15.9 million (2009) • Children -2.5 million (2009) • AIDS Orphans (0-17)-16.6 million (2009) • AIDS deaths - 1.8 million (2009) • Less than 10 % of children orphaned or made vulnerable by AIDS receive any support; • Less than 10 % of pregnant women are offered services to prevent HIV transmission to their infants; • Less than 5 % of young HIV-positive children in need of treatment are receiving it. (UNAIDS, 2005, Homepage) hivinsite.org/hiv?page=basics-00-04Cached

14. Natural DisastersEarthquakes-Floods-Tsunami On January 12, 2010, within 40 seconds, at least 230,000 Haitians were killed: one in every 50 persons.

15. Haiti-A Republic of NGO’s • More than 3,000 • “world's highest density of NGOs per capita” • “estimated 10,000 relief agencies flooded the country in the wake of the emergency” Humanitarian concern for plight of children. Infectious diseases-2,000 with cholera in Haiti-2010. Increase in disabled persons & orphans.

16. Haiti Restaveks Child slaves make up about 10 percent of the youth population in Haiti. Driven out of economic depravity, many parents are sending their children to live with others and serve as indentured servants in order to secure their survival. Source: Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

17. Moving Across Borders • Refugees seeking asylum • Migrants seeking economic prosperity • 40 million uprooted people around the world. • Around 10 million of them are refugees www.unhcr.org › Home › About Us › UNHCR EventsCached - Similar “The conflict in Syria has taken a terrible humanitarian toll… this is a children’s crisis. Of the one million refugees, half are children. Inside Syria, two million children are affected, and 800,000 are displaced.” child trafficking | UNICEF FieldNotes fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/tag/child-trafficking

18. Syria Over 4,000 Syrian children have fled the nation without any adult supervision, a United Nations agency said, stressing that children are extremely vulnerable to abuse and exploitation when they do not have a chaperone. Source Russia Today

19. War & Conflict • Child soldiers • Child victims of trafficking for labor and sex trade • Children born from rape Photo stories: UN news in pictures | Human Trafficking www.un.org/apps/news/photostories_detail.asp?PsID=39 Across the world there are approximately 250,000 to 300,000 child soldiers.

20. Incidence of sexual exploitation • Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls and up to 50% are minors. U.S. State Department600,000 – 800,000 people are bought and sold across international borders each year; 50% are children, most are female. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade. U.S. Department of State, 2004, Trafficking in Persons Report, Washington, D.C. • 27 million men, women, and children are trafficking victims at any given time. Tip Report 2012

21. THE 2013 TRAFFICKING INPERSONS (TIP) REPORT “It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity. It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric. It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime. I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name – modern slavery.” President Barack Obama September 25, 2012

22. Abuse, Neglect, Maltreatment According to the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect the definition of child abuse and neglect is: “Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill- treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.”

23. The U.N. has proclaimed domestic violence a “universal problem that must be universally condemned.” Convention on Eliminating all forms of Discrimination Against Women-CEDA

24. DV: The Problem Worldwide statistics on domestic violence, affecting about 1 billion women who have been “beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused by an intimate partner,” National Network to End Domestic Violence-Washington D.C • Some of these women are mothers, child brides and powerless to arranged marriages-it is part of the complex understanding of violence and trauma for children and women around the globe.

25. Child Safety in Times of Civil Unrest • Children living in areas of conflict are not always safe with those who come to give aid. • A British NGO, reported that humanitarian aid workers and peace keeping forces were abusing children as young as six. • Interviews with children in the Ivory Coast, Southern Sudan and Haiti found disturbing facts.

26. What did the children tell us? • Children interviewed highlighted many different types of abuse: trading food for sex, rape, child prostitution, pornography, indecent sexual assault and trafficking of children for sex. • Children state that fear of retribution from the adults by way of withholding aid as the reason for not reporting abuse by aid workers (Save the Children 2008).

27. 93 million children between 0-14 experience a moderate to severe disability (Global Burden of Disease. 2011 )

28. 93 million children between 0-14 experience moderate to severe disabilities (Global Burden of Disease 2011 ) Of this group many are: • Confined in institutional care • Real or social orphans as caregivers were killed in earthquakes, floods and they were injured • Suffer from AIDs, losing parents with AIDs • Refugees, migrants-injured in course of leaving home • Child soldiers forced into war or into army • Children born with specific disabilities • Children who become disabled due to accidents or other illnesses

29. Orphans Around 163 million in world: • This data reflects the number of children who have lost one or both parents due to any cause. • The estimate for fully orphaned children (having no parental care at all) is placed at 18.52 million worldwide. Source: These numbers are based on Orphan Estimates published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2009.

30. Children in Need of Alternative Care • The UN reports more than 8 million children live in institutional care (Pinherio, 2006)

31. Context of Social Work Education • “Prepare social workers to recognize the global context of social work practice.” (CSWE, 2001) • “internationalizing social work programs.” (Gatenio Gabel & Healy, 2013, p.629)

32. Globalization in Social WorkA Definition • “The diffusion of social, cultural, and political ideas.” (Wilson, 2002, p.16)

33. IASSW & IFSW “Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.”

34. Across Boarders “The learning environment is thus clearly no longer limited to a local context…students can now be linked to learning opportunities that are truly global….the ability to exchange different instructional methodologies, practice knowledge, skills, and values will not only benefit the students and faculty but also future clients, organizations, and communities.” (Rautenbach and Black-Hughes, 2013, p. 813)

35. Women and Children:“What is Social Work?” • From the Favelas: Chile • “A place to dance.” • “A place to read and study.” • From Kenya • “ Do you want to see me do Ballet?”

36. Joining Up: Globalization & Technology • Social work practice is no longer separated by borders • Technology is means to cross borders • It allows partnerships to advance practice • Universities • INGOs • Local NGOS and Authorities

37. IFCO’s Response “Every society at every time must make some provision for its children in need.” (Laird & Hartman, 1985) The International Foster Care Organization is on the ground influencing policy and practice addressing the challenges.

38. International Foster Care Organization • Promotes best practice, public policy (UNCRC) and understands social conditions whereby children are made vulnerable.

39. The International Foster Care Organization’s Work • Founded in 1979-response to international year of child; • Registered as a UK charity in 1981; • Works with a voluntary16 member international board of trustees with 3 members representing youth participation. • Promotes full social inclusion-UNCRC/Guidelines • Transfer of knowledge through training; • Exchanges information-conferences, website, newsletters; • Links stakeholders-Networks; • Development & Project work promoting UNCRC & Alternative Guidelines at local and national level; • Partners with and advises high level workgroups.

40. GSSW is….

41. Globally Focused

42. Gero-infused

43. Family Centered Source UNHCR: Refugee Camp Iraq

44. Dominican University Europe Latvia Ireland Romania Caribbean, Central & Latin America Haiti Mexico Guatemala Ecuador Nicaragua Africa Rwanda Ethiopia Kenya South Africa Ghana Pacific Rim Philippines Australia India

45. Built on Collaborations

46. IFCO’s Networks European Plus Pacific Rim RELAF AFRICA

47. The Relationship

48. Students engage with faculty and supervisors for learning • The introduction of the story is grounded in “cultural humility” • Reflection • Self-examination • Transformation Taking time to put the pieces together.

49. Students confront the injustice of privilege The Global North vs. the Global South

50. The Placement • International social work education can facilitate the sharing of locally relevant practices with internationally recognized theory and practice. This allows social workers to “crystallize their wisdom” (Yip, 2005, p. 603) from the local culture while integrating practice from Western countries. • This creates an opportunity for a rich and broad perspective in social work practice. Same, Same - But Different: The Development of Cultural Humility ... www.ijhssnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_17_September.../3.pdf