In the years following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the number of orphanages in the country quickly increased to over 750; most of them are unregistered and unregulated. This explosion of orphanages was so widespread that it quickly exceeded the government’s ability to track, monitor, and reunite 30,000 children who were suddenly raised in institutions rather than families.
Today, more than 80% of children living in Haitian orphanages have one or two living parents. Unfortunately, out of a spirit of help, the Americans played a big role in the separation of the family. The vast majority of orphanages in Haiti receive support from American donors, and annually at least $ 70 million goes to institutional care for children. 3 We are entering a new era.
Thanks to the intervention of many organizations, government leaders and donors, the childcare system in Haiti is undergoing a massive reform. Given the incontrovertible evidence that children work best in families, there is a huge shift from a model of an orphanage to family preservation.
People and organizations who specifically moved to Haiti to open an orphanage are currently paving the way for family care. and bringing his supporters on a journey with them. Donors spend their money on programs aimed at the full support of children. The Government of the Haitian Child Protection Agency, the Institute for Social Research and Social Security, together with technical support organizations, are laying the foundations for improving care practices, foster care, moratoria on new orphanages and donors. recommendations for investing in family care.
Our goal is to acknowledge the strength of the Haitian people and acknowledge the hard work done in health care reform. We want to provide readers with a brief overview of the many significant achievements of several organizations that are part of this movement in Haiti. This publication in no way can cover all the efforts of all those involved in a wide range of programs working in the interests of preserving the family. We hope that you, as a reader, will be inspired by glimpses of case studies that demonstrate what can be achieved when individuals and organizations work individually and collectively for the sake of change.
Part 1 discusses how perceiving Haitian children as part of a complex and beautiful social system can serve as the basis for best practices in reforming the child care system. Part 2 describes eight organizations that care for the family and preserve the family and society. Part 3 gives inspiration for collective action and transformation. The development of the child occurs within the framework of the social and environmental system. In the first section, “The Haitian Whole,” we look at protecting children at the individual (child), family, community, Haitian, and global levels and begin to discuss the complex interactions between these factors.
To see Haiti as a whole, we must consider each level and importance of community and communication as key factors in children’s development. Many organizations provide services that support the entire child in the context of this community. Family-friendly organizations in Haiti strengthen livelihoods and food security; providing access to education; work to bring children back to a safe home; training parents to be strong leaders; ensuring maternal and child health; and the creation of a new story about the well-being of children and family care in the communities. Other organizations are working to heal the damage: reunite the children with their families, make changes to the child protection and criminal justice system, and support those who care about their health so that they are healthy and productive adults. People, organizations, and donors are doing – and can continue to – work with the Haitian government to ensure the best possible child care. Together we can raise and support family care and work to prevent family separation.
The World Wide Fund for Assistance supports efforts to provide expertise, skills and financial assistance to help communities meet critical needs: protecting peace, health and disease, safe water, maternal and child health, education and local economic development. This guide explains how to develop a project with sustainable and measurable results, apply for a global grant, and manage grant funds. In addition to being an important practice for local and international club-led activities, sustainability and governance criteria are mandatory for all Global Grants. All actions proposed by members are not eligible to fund the Fund through a global grant. This guide will help you verify the suitability of your actions.