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Promoting Family Permanency: 2008 Joint Council Business Meeting Review

Review of key discussions and action items from the 2008 Joint Council Business Meeting, focusing on child welfare, NGO concerns, and adoption agency practices across multiple countries.

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Promoting Family Permanency: 2008 Joint Council Business Meeting Review

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Joint Council & The Network Creating Permanency Through Family Welcomes Members of The Network Colleagues representing France, Italy & Spain Representative of the U.S. Department of State The 2008 Joint Council Business Meeting July 12, 2008

  2. Agenda • Review of Joint Council Meetings in Ethiopia • MOWA Capacity Grant • Standards of Practice (SOP) • Cultural Sensitivity • Agency Assessment

  3. Joint Council Meetings • 17 Meetings • MOWA - 2 • MOJ - 3 • MOFA - 3 • First Instance Court • U.S. Embassy • Consular Officers (France, Italy, Spain, U.S.) • The Network – 2 • Child Welfare Agencies - 4

  4. Reality Perception is Reality Education + Change New Perceptions New Reality

  5. Review of Meetings • Strong interest in capacity building at MOWA & MOJ • Significant concerns regarding “legal child-trafficking” • Criticism by International NGOs • Concerns over Cultural Insensitivities • Complaints from Ethiopian Citizens • Concerns regarding “Adoption” Agencies • Concerns about the “numbers” of children being adopted

  6. Child Welfare Child Welfare NGO vs. Adoption Agency

  7. Reality • Child Welfare NGO • Provides a broad range of family & child services • Family Preservation • Domestic Adoption • Public Education • Intercountry Adoption • Family & Community Development • Provides child protections

  8. Reality • Child Welfare NGOs do not provide Humanitarian Aid • Do provide Programs & Services “Adoption Agency & Humanitarian Aid” Vs. Child Welfare NGO

  9. Reality • Adoption Agency • International Adoption • Humanitarian Aid • Child Welfare NGO • Programs & Services • Family Preservation • Community Health Care • Child Education • Domestic Adoption • Intercountry Adoption • Institutional Support These can be collaborative efforts

  10. Perception • Adoption Agency • Viewed as providing only International Adoption • Seen as “taking children for profit” • Negative impression on Government and Public • Child Welfare NGO • Viewed as serving families & children • Seen as protecting children • Positive impression on Government and Public

  11. MOWA Capacity Grant • Collaborative effort between Joint Council and The Network • $220,000 USD • ½ from Joint Council • ½ from The Network • Partnership between the Child Welfare NGOs and the government • Increase MOWA’s capacity to regulate Child Welfare NGOs and process adoptions

  12. MOWA Capacity Grant • Computers • Desks • Cabinets • Staff Training • Transportation

  13. Standards of Practice • Principles • Child Welfare NGOs must provide a broad range of programs and services, not just intercountry adoption • No incentives to “create” orphans • Legal, Ethical & Best Interest of the Child • Accountability • Transparency • Intercountry Adoption as the next to last option (institutions are the last option)

  14. SOP • Documents to be filed with MOWA, Embassy, Joint Council • Policy Statements • Annual Budgets • Memorandums of Understanding • With MOWA • With 3rd Party Child Care Centers • Compensation Schedules • Fee Schedules

  15. Intake Procedures • Family Preservation • Birth Mother Counseling • Short term financial assistance • Medical assistance • Job training • Why is the parent relinquishing and what can be done to prevent it?

  16. SOP • Birth Family Counseling • Recent survey showed 6 out of 19 did not conduct birth mother counseling • No information provided to birth mother informing her of the consequences of relinquishing her child(ren)

  17. Cultural Sensitivity • “Baby Hotels” • Use guest houses • Public Travels • Children should not leave the care center unless • At Guest House or • For Embassy appointments • International Travel • 75 children each week • Limit group travel • Public Discipline

  18. Agency Assessment • Committee of MOJ, MOWA, MOFA & MOLSA • Assessing all “agencies” • Are they “adoption agencies” or “child welfare NGOs”? • Are they protecting children? • Procedures to support orphanages • Procedures to place children domestically

  19. Action Items • Joint Council Country Representative • SOP • Internal implementation • Filing of documents with Joint Council • Use appropriate terminology • Changes to adoptive family housing and travel • (Assessments)

  20. Questions & Answer Period

  21. The Face of Joint Council

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