Hope and Homes for Children

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Hope and Homes for Children

• Working group 3 family support services

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Hope and Homes for Children

• HHC international NGO based in UK. Working in
  12 countries in Europe and Africa
• Focus in Europe deinstitutionalisation. Working
  with local authorities to transform large
  childrens home and replace them with
  family-based services

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Hope and Homes for Children BiH

• In BiH since 1994
• Transforming institutions
• Developing family based services
• Supporting young adults leaving institutional
  care

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TRANSFORMATION OF INSTITUTIONS

• First institution to be transformed in BiH
• Institution in Zenica for 60 children aged 0-18
• HHC working in partnership with local authorities
  in Zenica
• The institution will be closed by March 2008

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TRANSFORMATION OF INSTITUTIONS

• Development of family based services based on
  needs assessment
• Prevention
• Reintegration
• Fostering
• Young adult support
• Small family home
• Staff of institution move to new services
• HHC provides capital investment technical
  support (expertise, training, monitoring)
• Local authorities provide running costs and own
  the services

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REINTEGRATION
Biological family starting principle

• Involves a child moving from an institution or
  foster family or any out-of-family placement to
  live with biological family
• It may involve return to family or first time to
  live together
• It is a complex process requiring careful
  preparation, support and follow up. Involves
  working closely with child and family

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REINTEGRATION

• In BiH the legal decision to return a child to
  his/her family lies with CSW but non-statutory
  agencies can play important role in working with
  children and families on preparation and follow
  up

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STAGES IN REINTEGRATION

• STAGE 1 ASSESSMENT through
• Visiting and talking to the child and family
• Talking to the relevant professionals
• Reading the childrens files

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STAGE 1
assess the following

• Reasons for separation

• Understanding the circumstances that led to
  separation is key to successful reintegration
• Current situation of the child and family in the
  following areas
• living conditions
• family and social relationships
• social behaviour
• physical and mental health
• education
• household economy
• Wishes of the child and the family

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QUESTIONS TO BE CONSIDEREDduring the assessment
stage

• Why the separation?
• Has the child been separated from its family
  previous to this placement? If so, where?
• With whom was the child living immediately prior
  to the separation?
• How long has the child been in the current
  placement?
• How far is the child's present placement from its
  home?
• The quality of relationships between the child
  and family members before the separation?
• Is the child in regular contact with family
  members?

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FINAL DECISION for reintegration should involve
all relevant parties including child and family.
A CARE PLAN should be made and regularly
reviewed throughout the period of preparation,
reintegration and follow up.
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STAGE 2
preparation

• Involve children and families in the planning
  process
• Organise visits in the current placement
• Organise weekend visits to the family home
• Set a date for the return
• Acknowledge openly that everyone will be
  anxious (including professionals)

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STAGE 2
preparation

• Note although children want to go home there
  will be things they find difficult to leave
  behind e.g. friends, school, city life, carers.
• If the reintegration involves multiple changes,
  especially for an older child, then the
  preparation will take longer. It is important to
  keep some connections, if possible, e.g. with
  friends

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STAGE 3
return

• There will be tears
• There are likely to be some mixed emotions in the
  background
• It is a good idea to have a small celebration
• Everyone needs time to settle

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STAGE 4
Honeymoon period

• There is likely to be a period when everyone is
  on best behaviour
• Children will be more helpful, parents will be
  more easy-going and generous with their time,
  brothers and sisters will be unusually pleasant
  to each other
• It will not stay this way forever and it is
  important not to withdraw support at this stage

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STAGE 5
crisis

• This is almost inevitable and will take the form
  of an argument or conflict
• It is important that everyone understands this is
  a normal part of the process
• It is usually triggered by something quite
  trivial
• The explosion will usually bring to surface much
  deeper problems to do with the pain of being
  separated
• It is important to provide professional support
  through this stage and to help family members to
  express and work through painful emotions and
  issues in a constructive way

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STAGE 6
resolution
The crisis has the effect of clearing the air
and, if resolved constructively, may enable the
family to move on to building a sustainable way
of living together
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STAGE 7
living together

• Be prepared to support the family through the
  anxieties and conflicts that are part of the
  reintegration process
• Continue supporting the family until they have
  reached stability and have a support network

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SIGNIFICANT FACTORS FOR SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION

• Relationships in the family are reasonably good
• The problems that made the separation necessary
  are considered to have been at least partially
  resolved
• The family considers itself a family
• The child assumes a role within the family at
  each stage of reintegration

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SIGNIFICANT FACTORS FOR SUCCESSFUL REINTEGRATION

• The child has a personal territory or item (e.g.
  room, bed, toy) in the family home throughout
  preparation and reintegration process
• The care plan is inclusive in that the family
  plays an active role in the decision making
  throughout the reintegration process
• The childs family is prepared for the anxiety
  generated by the return and the disputes that are
  likely to occur
• There is network of support (local community,
  CSW, school, NGOs etc.)

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Challenges in BiH context

• Poverty, unemployment
• Lack of capacity and resources of centres for
  social work (CSWs) to support and follow up
  families
• Lack of flexibility for CSWs to use money
  previously used to support child in
  institution/foster family to support families
  during reintegration
• tradition in institutionalisation (institutions
  are easy)