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IFCO RELAF Regional Training Seminar 2007: "The Right to Live in a Family: Foster Care and Other Alternatives"
May 17, 18 and 19, 2007, Hotel Hermitage, Avenida Colón 1621, Mar del Plata, Bs-As., Argentina Co-organised by: Fundación Centro de Estudios Políticos, Económicos y Sociales (CEPES), and Grupo de Acompañamiento a Familias Adoptivas (GAFA)* (*Foundation Center of Political, Economic and Social Studies CEPES, and Support Group to Adoptive Families)
The IFCO RELAF Network, together with CEPES and GAFA, wishes to gather all those involved in the development of foster care in Latin America in an unprecedented event. The IFCO RELAF Seminar will bring together individuals and organisations involved in and committed to advocating for the right to family and community living in Latin America , in order to share and learn from each other within a wide programme of plenary sessions and room for debate . All those interested in the development of foster care in Latin America are welcome!
Why this Seminar?: The growing concern for children deprived of parental care drives us into looking for alternatives framed within the safeguarding of rights . In Argentina, the recent report about Children Deprived of Liberty, produced by the National Secretariat of Human Rights and UNICEF, revealed the situation of thousands of institutionalised kids in our country. Thus, the urgent need to start a des-institutionalisation process and the provision of alternatives for their care and protection. In Latin America, the development of family-based alternatives in the region since the 1980s decade, and specially over the last few years, is also a sign of this search for alternatives. The current drafting, at world level, of the United Nations Guidelines for Children Without Parental Care, shows the need to start taking the subject as a public policy as stablished by the UN Convention, in order to restore violated rights for children and adolescents. It is an excellent time to share experiences on the development of foster care at world level. Background: IFCO has a long-standing tradition of world conference organisation since its birth in 1981. the last IFCO conference in the region was in July 2003, in La Plata City, Buenos Aires, Argentina, with an attendance of almost 700 people from 33 countries. IFCO events have always been successful, and have taken place in countries like The Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, England, United States, Greece, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Canada, Hungary, Philipines, Australia, Finland, Argentina and Czech Republic. Delegates from over 80 countries have attended IFCO conferences in order to exchange information and learn about the development of family-based alternatives to institutionalisation, for the millions of kids that live separated from their families.
Who can participate: Addressed to all child care stakeholders in Latin America, from all cultures and religions: families, youth, State (Judicial, Legislative and Executive Power, and all governmental child care bodies), community (organisations from the civil society and individuals interested), technicians (professionals and practitioners from all areas of child care, including Health and Education), and mass media.
Modality and contents: There will be panels , aimed at sharing and exchanging information among all those involved in the field . The focus will be placed on the different actions for the effective implementation of the UN Convention (specially Art. 20), particularly on foster care as an intervention tool, within the national and regional environments, and how to promote it within the regional legislations. Furthermore, the damaging effects of institutionalisation on children and families will be assessed.
Themes: Policies and programmes in Latin America addressed to families at risk. Programmes specialised in rights protection. Judicial, health, social and education approaches in the different cultural contexts. Situation of public and private institutions for children and adolescents deprived of parental care. Ethics and professional practice in services for the vulnerable families: rights and obligations. The child as subject of rights within disfunctional families. Community networks, its construction and intervention before families at risk. Foster care as an alternative for the fullfilment of "the right to live in a family". Practices of family strengthening. Foster care in the Latin American and international legislations. Multi-disciplinary approach in foster care. Post-neoliberal society: foster care as a recovery of social networks. Foster family: calll, selection, profile, evaluation, training, etc. Bonds with the birth family. Des-institutionalisation of children and adolescents in the light of the new context of protection of rights. Practitioners and technicians, re-definition of roles in view of current legislations. Domestic adoption, another alternative. Testimonies from those involved in out-of-home care. Those who have been institutionalised, biological families with their kids in foster care, foster families...they will all have their say! Language: The Seminar's official language will be Spanish. Secretariat: Fundación Cepes - Moreno 3744, CP 7600 Mar del Plata http://relaf.ifco.info/mardel/index.html Registration and costs: * Participants from the Latin American region: Argentinian Pesos $100 (Please download registration form from website http://relaf.ifco.info/mardel/index.html and send by e-mail to the Secretariat).
Paper submission: Presentations must adjust to the themes proposed, and they can be presented individually or in groups. Presenters will have 15 minutes for their presentation . Papers will be used by IFCO for the final publication. They cannot exceed the 15 pages, in A4, Arial 12, simple space, in Word. Title, author, organisation, etc., must be stated on the submission form. The deadline for paper submission will be April 20th 2007 via e-mail to seminarioifco2007@gmail.com or by post to the Secretariat, printed and in diskette or CD.
The Seminar is sponsored by: • Municipality of Gral. Pueyrredón www.mardelplata.gov.ar • National University of Mar del Plata www.mdp.edu.ar The Seminar is supported by: Stichting Kinderpostzegels (The Netherlands) www.skn.nl For more data or suggestions about hotels and tours, please contact the official travel agency: Dopazo-Gatti Viajes y Turismo Lic. Ana Dopazo
Please spread the word! Many thanks. María Soledad Franco IFCO Europe: Laan van Meerdervoort 70, 2517 AN The Hague, The Netherlands T + 31 (0)70 3462153 / F + 31 (0)70 4279242 / denhaagoffice@ifco.info / www.ifco.info
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