Helping orphans and children deprived of family care can be as simple as…
…getting involved in any way that your time and resources allow. All of us care about the well-being and future of children, particularly those living in fragile circumstances. Some of the most vulnerable children are those living in residential care – sometimes referred to as “orphanages.” For their sake, we are committed to changing the way we care. Here’s what you can do:
We can all educate ourselves about child care reform to understand that even in the best residential care facilities, children are not getting what they need … a family. Research shows that children need the nurture and consistency of a loving family. You can join our efforts to help reunite children with their living relatives or, if that is not possible, place them in a caring family. Instead of donating to residential care facilities or volunteering at them, please consider learning more about how we at Changing the Way We Care℠ are working to reform child care systems, so that all children can be raised in a family and not a residential care facility. Here are some things you can do:
- Download an article about CTWWC and place it in parish bulletins, newsletters, or distribute it to your fellow congregants, friends and family.
- Share the data and stories on this website with others who share your concern for children living in poverty.
- Follow us on Twitter, sign up for our newsletter, and like us on Facebook to stay updated on our work.
Does your church, school, or community organization support residential care overseas – often referred to as “orphanages”? Have you ever traveled abroad to volunteer in a residential care facility? Although the intention is good, by supporting these institutions you may unknowingly be causing harm to the children who live in these facilities.
With our help, you can hold an informational session for your organization that will answer questions about how to help orphans or children deprived of family care, and how to make an informed decision to change the way you care. Email info@ctwwc.org if you are interested.
Over 7.5 million children live in residential care facilities around the world.
We strongly believe that these 7.5 million children can thrive in nurturing families when social workers, psychologists, community centers and all those supporting them band together. Reach out to us if you think you share our goals so we can expand our efforts to change the way we care for children globally. Contact us at info@ctwwc.org to let us know how we can work together, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to help us promote this work.
Support Care Reform
Changing the Way We Care was originally funded through a Global Development Alliance founded by the MacArthur Foundation, USAID and the GHR Foundation, and has since attracted support from other private organizations and individuals. CTWWC welcomes new public donors as well as international and national foundations, corporations, and individual philanthropists. To learn more about the benefits of contributing or leveraging existing resources, please contact info@ctwwc.org. Smaller donations are also welcome – see our Donate page.
Changing care for children requires a large network of child care professionals working together to ensure that children thrive within families. As we learn more about how best to support children and families, we continuously share that learning. Connect with other care reform practitioners and discuss how we can come together for children and families by:
- Visiting the Better Care Network (BCN) website. BCN is our partner in learning and hosts a virtual library of guidance documents, webinar recordings, policy briefings and more. Practitioners and others working with children and families can also visit the Practitioner Hub on BCN’s website to access more resources.
- Visiting CTWWC and UNICEF’s regional learning platform on care reform in Eastern and Southern Africa. This platform releases webinars, a monthly newsletter, virtual study tours and hosts small learning groups so that practitioners and policy makers can exchange insights to uphold family care for children.
Advocate for Change
Changing the way we care for vulnerable children requires awareness of the importance of families and a commitment to keeping children in their communities with families. Creating that culture starts with clear, strong policies, strong child protection and care systems and financing that makes it possible.
We would be happy to share stories and strategies from our country programs to advocate for care reform with national governments and key policy makers – just email info@ctwwc.org to request this information.
Are you a member of the Catholic Church? One of our founding partners, Catholic Relief Services, is here to help you live out the Church’s call to care for the poor and vulnerable. Catholic audiences in the U.S. and around the world have a rich history of supporting children and families in need, and many Catholics generously support residential care facilities. While these donations are well-intended, at Changing the Way We Care℠ we have found a better way. We use funds from charitable churches and individuals to help children stay with their families or reintegrate from a residential care facility into a family. Here are some things you can do to help change the way we care:
- Watch the video to learn more.
- Read about a congregation of Catholic sisters in Mexico who, with support from CTWWC, went from operating a residential care facility to transitioning 33 girls back into families.
- Join Changing the Way We Care, Catholic Relief Services and Georgetown University in attending Faith and the Family Forum webinars. Giving particular focus to the Catholic faith, the Faith and the Family Forum will dive deep in discussions on how religious belief systems and practices have justified or opposed the separation of children from families in a variety of historical and regional contexts.
- Start discussions with members of the church, and email info@ctwwc.org if you would like to be connected to tools and resources to do so.
If you are interested in having a public conversation with someone at Changing the Way We Care℠ through a news outlet, podcast or similar medium, please contact us at info@ctwwc.org and we will get back to you. To view some of our media features in the past, check out our press page below.
Every child deserves a family. Your donation will help keep families together and ensure that families have the resources they need so that children thrive. Every donation counts, no matter how small. Whether you give a one-time donation or a monthly donation, you can be confident that your gift is changing lives.