The International Foster Care Organisation is the only international network dedicated to the promotion and support of family foster care all over the world. / Click here to Join or Renew your IFCO MEMBERSHIP
Registered UK Charity: 1081324
United Nations ECOSOC Consultative Status
Member NGO Group for the UN CRC
IFCO Office
135, Stillorgan Wood
Upper Kilmacud Road
Stillorgan, County Dublin, Ireland
Phone: +353 1 443 3576
E-mail:
Contributions for the next Enewsletter are welcomed - please send them by 12 November. Maximum 2-300 words + link(s) + photos are best. Thanks to all contributors!
This is an Enewsletter for members - people whose membership subscription is not up to date will not receive future monthly issues of IFCO Enews after October 2008 - sorry!Please click at the top right to renew your membership and thank you to all the organisations and individuals who support IFCO's mission by being fully paid-up members! / OCTOBER 2008 IFCO Enewsletter CONTENTS:
# IFCO 2009 WORLD CONFERENCE IN DUBLIN / more information on web site + REMINDER - Submissions by October 31 please!
# CANADA - National Foster Family Week + IFCO 2011 Conference
# FUTURE IFCO CONFERENCES - BIDS INVITED FOR 2010 & 2012
# IFCO HISTORY - where were past conferences 1979 - 2007?
# IFCO@YOUTH NEWS Power4Youth training & Dublin
# EUROPEAN Youth Policy - online consultation - 25 languages!
# JAPAN / KOREA Foster Care Forum 2008
# UN Human Rights Council - Resolution on proposed UN Guidelines
# KENYA - Foster Care Training & Kenyan & African Conference
# LATIN AMERICA - March Seminar call for papers + Relaf web site & latest Enewsletters (Spanish & English)
# OTHER INFO & LINKS in 6 languages + NEXT ISSUE
Last chance - closing date is 31 October!
SUBMISSIONS ARE INVITED FOR IFCO's WORLD CONFERENCE 12-17 JULY 2009 IN DUBLIN
Updated regularly / new information added / workshop & plenary submissions can be sent online
> IFCO 2009 DUBLIN web site
Prices / Registrations soon - discounts for IFCO members!
€€€€€€€€€€
Canada - Foster Families Celebrated Across the Country
Canadian families are celebrating National Foster Family Week across Canada from October 19 - 26, and the Canadian Foster Family Association (CFFA) is proud to honour those families.
"This is a time to recognize and honour the commitment and caring that foster families provide throughout the year in communities across the country," states Sheila Durnford, President of the Canadian Foster Family Association. "Foster families provide a safe and caring home to thousands of children and youth in Canada and we are proud to highlight their hard work."
Peter Dudding, Executive Director with the Child Welfare League of Canada, agrees. "Foster families are the backbone of the child protection system in Canada and they are absolutely critical to the mission of keeping children safe and protected. They are unsung heroes who deserve our praise and support."
Celebrations are held in each province and territory to thank foster families who open their homes to some of Canada's most vulnerable children and youth. Foster parents are dedicated to helping children develop to their full potential in a safe and nurturing family environment. Foster families also work with a child or youth's family and others in the child protection system.
"This week is a very special week for foster families across Canada, and a time for others to recognize the incredible work foster families do throughout the year for so many children and youth who are in need of a home," states Durnford.
To further celebrate National Foster Family Week, the CFFA has completed the production of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled "Room For One More?" that captures fostering and adoption in a positive light to increase awareness of fostering and adoption needs in Canada. "Room For One More?" is being aired at all Empire Theatres across Canada during the month of October. "It is very exciting that we were able to have our PSA aired in conjunction with National Foster Family Week," states Durnford.
The Canadian Foster Family Association (CFFA) is the national organization with its members being made up of provincial and territorial foster parent organizations, and individual foster parents across the country. The mandate of the organization is to speak as a collective voice for foster families throughout the country with a primary goal to enhance the quality of care provided to children and youth in Canada.
+ HOT NEWS!!! The IFCO Board have selected Canada as the venue for the 2011 IFCO WORLD CONFERENCE
10-15 July 2011 at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada - see their presentation in Dublin!
BIDS ARE INVITED FROM ORGANISATIONS TO HOST REGIONAL IFCO CONFERENCE(s) IN 2010 & 2012
- detailed Conference Guidelines are available / conferences can be run on a "partnership model" as was done successfully in Prague, Bratislava & Malta.
• International Conferences organised by IFCO throughout its history…
2007 Malta (Regional) 2007 Hamilton New Zealand (International) 2006 Bratislava Slovakia (Regional)
2005 Madison, WIS USA (international) 2004 Prague Czech Republic (Regional) 2004 Paramaribo Surinam (Regional) 2003 La Plata Argentina (International) 2002 Tampere Finland (Regional) 2001 Veldhoven The Netherlands (International) 2000 Cork Ireland (Regional) 1999 Melbourne Australia (International) 1998 Budapest Hungary (regional) 1998 Manilla The Philippines (Regional) 1997 Vancouver Canada (international) 1996 Los Angeles USA (Regional) 1995 Bergen Norway (international) 1994 Berlin Germany (regional) 1993 Dublin Ireland (International) 1992 Gent Belgium (Regional) 1991 Jonkoping Sweden (international) 1990 Athens Greece (Regional) 1989 Michigan USA (International) 1988 Lunteren The Netherlands (Regional) 1987 Leeds United Kingdom (International) 1985 Christchurch New Zealand (International) 1983 Leuven Belgium (International) 1982 Beekse Bergen The Netherlands (Regional) 1981 Slagharen The Netherlands (International – IFCO created)
How it all started > 1979 Oxford United Kingdom (International – organised by the UK’s National Foster Care Organisation to mark the International Year of the Child. Afterwards a small group decided to work together to make sure this would happen again and to make proposals to establish an international organisation which in 1981 became reality as IFCO)
IFCO YOUTH: Power4Youth.eu
by IFCO Youth Committe Chair Miko Carels, The Netherlands, and Jean Kennedy, Ireland
Youth@IFCO has been granted funding by the European Commission’s Youth in Action Programme to organise a Power4youth workshop from 24-26 of October 2008. Youth from 10 different European countries will come to The Hague in The Netherlands for a weekend to be trained in becoming youth leaders & Power4youth representatives!
Tabé Miko Serko Carels Youth@IFCO
Read the full report about this Power4Youth training workshop in our next e-newsletter!
Under 28 and with care experience?
Join now!
Power4Youth is a project of
It’s great to be consulted and involved and if any young people want to share an idea or opinion about the IFCO 2009 DUBLIN Youth Programme, it would be most welcome! I look forward to seeing you all in my country in 2009!
Do Chara, Jean Kennedy (Ireland)
European Youth Policy - online consultation till 25/11
Strategic choices for young Europeans - An EU-wide public consultation on the future of youth policy in 25 languages!
Онлайн допитване за младежта - български
Konzultace mládeže - čeština
Ungdomshøring på nettet - dansk
Jugendkonsultation online - deutsch
Noorte veebipõhine konsultatsioon - eesti
Ηλεκτρονική διαβούλευση με τους νέους - ελληνικά
Online youth consultation - english
Consulta en línea a los jóvenes - español
Consultation en ligne sur la jeunesse - Français
Consultazione on-line dei giovani - italiano
Jaunatnes politikas apspriešana - Latviešu
Konsultacijos internetu su jaunimu - lietuvių
Ifjúsági konzultáció - magyar
Konsultazzjoni maż-żgħażagħ onlajn - malti
Online-jongerenraadpleging - nederlands
Konsultacje on-line z młodzieżą - polski
Consulta em linha aos jovens - português
Consultare on-line privind tineretul - româna
On-line konzultácie s mládežou -slovenčina
Spletno mladinsko posvetovanje - slovenščina
Nuorten verkkokysely - suomi
Ungdomssamråd på nätet - Svenska
Nett-basert ungdomshøring - Norwegian
Netsamskipti ungmenna - íslenska
Online gençlik danışması - türkçe
Japan / Korea Foster Care Forum 2008
Report by IFCO Board Member Watanabe Mamoru
6th of September 2008, in Hokkaido Japan
At the forum, foster care givers from both Japan and Korea have shared their experience and knowledge. Three specialists from Korea gave presentations in terms of out-of-home care in Korea.
Mr. Oba, the head of child guidance center of Hokkaido, presented the Hokkaido’s situation of family-based care.
Although foster care has not been the main stream of out-of-home care in Asia region, the attendees learnt that there are some people who keep doing grass-root effort to make the quality of out-of-home care in Asia region better.
IFCO Board Member Dr. Kang from Korea introduced IFCO to the attendees briefly. Also, her presentation encouraged the attendees to attach greater importance to Asian children in out-of-home care.
On 6th of December 2008, there will be another forum in Tokyo.
UN Human Rights Council > Resolution adopted on the UN Guidelines for conditions of alternative care for children
The resolution was sponsored by Brazil, which emphasised the relevant provisions in the Convention of the Rights of the Child and re-affirmed its commitment to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Brazil welcomed a further engagement by the international community in the preparation of guidelines on alternative care.
Bangladesh and Indonesia appreciated the emphasis placed on such a significant issue and provided support for the appropriateness of the guidelines. Both States raised their concern, however, that the drafting process of the guidelines had to be more inclusive, transparent and intergovernmental in the future. The resolution was adopted by consensus.
- Readthe resolution
- Read the draft guidelines
Visit:
CERTIFICATES FOR ALL!
In September, 2008, we had our first Foster Care training which was attended by more than 30 participants from different organizations working in Kenya. The training as stated earlier was organized by ANPPCAN Regional Network (African Network for the Protection and Prevention of Children Against Abuse and Neglect) and Facilitated by GCF-South Africa (Give a Child a Family). The training was attended by representatives of the Children Ministry, Government and Non-Governmental organizations dealing with Children. The aim of the training as stated earlier was to train the trainers on Foster Care. The training was a joy to all participants as it covered all major issues in the African context not leaving out HIV/AIDS which is a major cause of the million of orphans in Africa.
From the training the participants in the last day of the training expressed a need to form a Foster Care Network and unanimously the Kenya Foster Care Network (KEFCAN) was formed. My organization Feed The Children was appointed as part of the task team and I was selected to represent them in the task force. This was a major step and we hope the network will be a basis to advocate for foster care in Kenya and Africa as a whole. From the workshop loopholes on our current models of foster care, both formal and non-formal were identified and the team agreed a lot has to be done to protect and care for the children in and out of care.
A national Kenyan conference will be held in February to bring together various organizations dealing with children issues in the realm of care and protection; The conference will create awareness on foster care and sharing of best practices will be encouraged. Subsequently an African conference will be arranged to advocate and share experiences on foster care and hopefully an African Network will be formed.
By IFCO Board Member Stephen Ucembe
The call for papers (by 10 November) is open for our Relaf Seminar (Latin American Foster Care Network), which will take place in Buenos Aires city, Argentina in March 2009
This Seminar seeks to promote a platformfor thought and regional exchangearound the efforts,lessons learned,strengths and challenges, and to influence the progress of enforcement of the right to community- and family-based care in the Latin American countries.
The event is sponsored by:
- the UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNDP /
-theIIN Inter-American Children’s Institute OAS
- IFCO International Foster Care Organization
- UNESCO Bioethics -Lumen Hvmanitas Publishing House
For further information, please visit our website < web site & Enewsletters in Spanish and English
María Soledad Franco
CoordinatorRelaf Red Latinoamericana de Acogimiento Familiar / Latin American Foster Care Network
Tel. (00 54 11) 4551 1510e-mail: / Web:
Short news items and links:
UNGuidelines for the Appropriate Use and Conditions of Alternative Care for Children
The draft guidelines are now available in six languages:
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and Arabic
- click > Better Care Network
The UK's Fostering Network's "Foster Care" magazine
is now also available online - click here
Would you be willing to share your top "Bookmarked" web site links which may be of use to readers of IFCO's Enewsletter & web site?
Thanks to those who have already sent some links - these will be in the next issue!
@@@@@
Do you have a news item, picture or link to contribute for the next IFCO Enews?
Please send these to NOVEMBER 12 - thank you.
Many thanks to all contributors this month!
© IFCO Enews 2008 but please share with others - please acknowledge IFCO!