In this episode Amanda is joined by representatives of three member organisations who are working to support children's mental health and wellbeing across three continents. Omattie Madray, Managing Director of ChildLinK, in Guyana, Chaste Uwihoreye, Country Director at Uyisenga Ni Imanzi in Rwanda and Rita Panicker, Director of Butterflies, in India.The panel discussed how mental wellbeing is a topic that must be addressed at community rather than an individual level and how typically western ideas around therapeutic approaches translate to different contexts.This podcast builds on the research each organisation has been conducting as part of a practice exchange project. All three reports can be found here.At Family for Every Child we know that Children who are emotionally well are more likely to develop strong and healthy minds, and to have better lives in the future. And it is this knowledge that underpins our Emotions Matter campaign.

In this month’s podcast Amanda is joined by two representatives of the Ali Forney Center in New York. Nadia Swanson is Director of Technical Assistance and Advocacy and Maddox Guerilla is Technical Assistance Consultant, and former graduate of the Center.The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was established in 2002 in memory of Ali, a gender non-conforming person who was tragically murdered on the streets of New York in 1997. Homelessness is an issue which disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ community with over 40% of homeless youth in the USA identifying as LGBTQ+. Amanda, Nadia and Maddox discuss how the AFC has created a welcoming and affirming environment, with low barriers to entry in which young people are able to regulate their nervous systems and overcome trauma. And we hear about AFC’s approach to supporting organisations establishing or expanding their LGBTQ+ services in countries with very different cultural, political and legal contexts.

In this podcast Amanda Griffith, CEO at Family for Every Child, is joined by Nicole Mazen, Chief Program and Policy Officer at Amara.Amara is an organisation that supports children and families who are impacted by foster care or adoption in the greater Seattle area in the United States of America. Amara's focus is on meeting the needs of those who are most impacted including Black and Indigenous children and families, low-income and LGBTQIA+ communities.Amanda and Nicole discuss how to imbed inclusive practices within an organisation. How to make feedback count and why sometimes something as simple as a form really, really matters. https://amarafamily.org/

This podcast episode explores the context of the juvenile justice system in the United States of America. The USA has the highest youth incarceration rate in the industrialised world. However, in the past two decades there has been a significant drop in juvenile arrest and incarceration rates, which has seeded many changes in law and policy. Family for Every Child CEO, Amanda Griffith, is joined by Nedra Shawler, Legal Director of Family Alliance member, Legal Services for Children (LSC), based in San Francisco.  Together, Amanda and Nedra discuss the rights that children and youth have within the juvenile justice system in the state of California; the issue of overrepresentation of black and latino children and young people in juvenile facilities; and the reform measures that are needed to ensure lasting change. Find out more about LSC at lsc-sf.org You can read the Improving Juvenile Justice research report here: familyforeverychild.org/resources/improving-juvenile-justice-usa/ Help us spread the word and engage further in our conversation and activities by joining our community on the Changemakers for Children community platform. Visit changemakersforchildren.community to register. The more users there are, the stronger we will be.

O podcast de hoje explora o papel do intercâmbio de práticas entre organizações locais da sociedade civil em diferentes partes do mundo.O episódio é apresentado por Monica Alkmim, a Coordenadora Executiva da Organização dos Direitos Humanos, Projeto Legal, no Brasil. O Projeto Legal é um dos membros fundadores da aliança Family for Every Child. A Monica é acompanhada por Raum Batista, Assessor Técnico da Associação Brasileira Terra dos Homens, também membro fundador da aliança Family e outra organização sediada no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.A Terra dos Homens trabalha com crianças e famílias em situações de violência para evitar a separação e proporcionar uma continuidade de opções de cuidado, incluindo apoio à reintegração, acolhimento temporário e reforma institucional.À luz da recente visita de Raum a Ruanda, Mônica e Raum discutem como o compartilhamento de experiências e conhecimentos entre regiões e contextos pode nos ajudar como profissionais a fortalecer nosso trabalho e melhorar os resultados para as crianças e famílias que apoiamos.Você pode nos ajudar a espalhar a palavra e se engajar ainda mais em nossas conversas e atividades, juntando-se à nossa comunidade na Plataforma da comunidade Changemakers for Children. Visite changemakersforchildren.community para registrar-se.

This podcast episode explores the context for children and young people with care experience in New Zealand. Family for Every Child, CEO, Amanda Griffith, is joined by Tracie Shipton and Tupua Urlich from VOYCE-Whakarongo Mai, a new member organisation of the Family for Every Child alliance. VOYCE-Whakarongo Mai was co-designed by children with care experience, for children with care experience, and exists to advocate for the approximately 6,000 children in New Zealand with care experience (be that foster or kinship (whanau) care). Tracie is VOYCE's CEO and Tupua is is the National Care Experienced Lead.Together they discuss the origins of VOYCE-Whakarongo Mai, the organisation's advocacy achievements to date and how it works to address the over-representation of children of Māori descent within the care system in New Zealand. Find out more about VOYCE here: voyce.org.nzYou can help us spread the word and engage further in our conversation and activities by joining our community on the Changemakers for Children community Platform. Visit changemakersforchildren.community to register. The more users there are, the stronger we will be.

El podcast de hoy es el segundo episodio relacionado con el tema de la prestación de apoyo en situaciones de emergencia. A la luz del actual conflicto en Ucrania, los miembros de Family for Every Child están compartiendo sus experiencias de apoyo a niños y familias vulnerables en situaciones de emergencia, con la esperanza de que sean un recurso útil para los profesionales que participan directamente en la respuesta a la situación actual en Ucrania. Este episodio es presentado por Ivan Zamora, el Director Ejecutivo de ONG Paicabi en Chile. Paicabi es miembro de la Alianza de Family desde 2016. Ivan es acompañado por Stella Duque Cuesta, Directora Ejecutiva de la ONG Taller de Vida en Colombia. Taller de Vida trabaja con los niños que se han visto afectados por conflictos armados desde hace décadas en Colombia.Hablan de cómo Taller de Vida utiliza las terapias de arte y música para apoyar a los niños y adolescentes en situaciones de emergencia, cuáles son algunos de los impactos del uso de estas terapias en los niños y jóvenes y cómo se asegura de que el personal también reciba apoyo para llevar a cabo este trabajo.

Today’s podcast is the first episode related to the topic of providing support in emergencies. In light of the current conflict in Ukraine, Family for Every Child members are sharing their experiences of supporting vulnerable children and families in emergency situations in the hope that they will be a useful resource for those practitioners directly involved in responding to the current situation in Ukraine and other on-going emergencies around the world. Family for Every Child's CEO, Amanda Griffith, is joined by Pinelopi Roufopoulou, Psychologist at METAdrasi - Action for Migration and Development, in Greece, in Southern Europe. Since 2009 METAdrasi has worked to facilitate the reception and integration of refugees and migrants in Greece. They discuss the practical ways that METAdrasi supports unaccompanied minors arriving in Greece, how they address the psychological impact of conflict on children and young people and how recruiting and training the right staff is essential for this work. Find out more about METAdrasi here: familyforeverychild.org/metadrasiYou can help us spread the word and engage further in our conversation and activities by joining our community on the Changemakers for Children community Platform. Visit changemakersforchildren.community to register. The more users there are, the stronger we will be.

El podcast de hoy es sobre un tema del que no se habla mucho, que es el Cuidado de las Cuidadoras. Se ha conversado mucho sobre la salud mental de las niñas, niños y adolescentes durante la pandemia, pero ENFOQUE Niñez de Paraguay ha ido un paso más allá y ha realizado un proyecto con las cuidadoras de instituciones de abrigo. Para conocer más sobre el trabajo realizado, nos acompaña Livia Gonzalez y Tania Biedermann, psicoterapuetas que acompañaron a Enfoque Niñez en este proceso.Cuidado de Cuidadoras fue propuesta por ENFOQUE Niñez, para colaborar con la Dirección de Cuidados Alternativos, DICUIDA, del Ministerio de la Niñez y la Adolescencia, en Paraguay. Fue financiado por esta red Family for Every Child en el marco de una beca de respuesta al COVID-19 que buscó mejorar las condiciones de las niñas, de los niños y adolescentes vulnerables en Paraguay, respondiendo al incremento de la fragilización de la capacidad del garante.

Family for Every Child influences national, regional and global decision-makers to implement positive change to child welfare policies and services, with a specific focus on children being cared for in a safe family environment. This is possible, in part, through advocacy efforts led by Family members. In this podcast, Family for Every Child's CEO, Amanda Griffith, is joined by Sandrea Long-White, Project Manager at Community Based Rehabilitation Jamaica, Omattie Madray, Managing Director and Cardel Hunte Project Officer, both at ChildLinK in Guyana.They discuss why CBRJ decided to support  parents of children with disabilities to become their own advocates for change, what ChildLinK has learned from their work, and how they both helped strengthen the Regional Advocacy Network for persons with disabilities. You can help us spread the word and engage further in our conversation and activities by joining our community on the Changemakers for Children community Platform. Visit changemakersforchildren.community to register. The more users there are, the stronger we will be.

Would you like to learn more about Family's 2021-2025 Strategy? In our latest podcast, Suzanne Clulow from CINDI moderates a conversation between Ron Gutierrez from LSC and Family for Every Child's CEO, Amanda Griffith.They discuss the main considerations when developing this new strategy, how being part of a network like Family for Every Child can strengthen the work members are doing, and much more.You can find Family for Every Child's 2021-2025 Strategy in English and in Spanish, here. You can help us spread the word and engage further in our conversation and activities by joining our community on the Changemakers for Children community Platform. Visit changemakersforchildren.community to register. The more users there, the stronger we will be.

This podcast is the second episode on the topic of International Approaches to Child Participation. Children’s right to participation is protected in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children have the right to freely express their views on all matters and decisions that affect them, and to have those views taken into account at all levels of society. But, the right to participation is not only a right in itself;it is also a prerequisite for the exercise of all other rights within families, schools and the larger community context. While a huge diversity of initiatives to amplify children’s voices exists around the world, we know that, in order to have the best chance of being effective, participation approaches must be meaningful and adapted to the local context.In this podcast Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child speaks with  Rita Panicker, Director of Butterflies, based in Delhi, India. Butterflies is one of the founding member organisations of the Family for Every Child Alliance and Rita was Vice-Chair of our Board between 2014 and 2019.Since 1989, Butterflies has been working to protect and empower street connected and working children in India. Its work includes education, health care and media programmes as well as operating a child helpline. Butterflies’ believes in the right of every child to protection, respect, opportunities and participation in his or her own growth and development. For more information on Butterflies India visit: https://www.familyforeverychild.org/butterflies

Today’s podcast is the first episode on the topic of International Approaches to Child Participation. Children’s right to participation is protected in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children have the right to freely express their views on all matters and decisions that affect them, and to have those views taken into account at all levels of society. But, the right to participation is not only a right in itself; it is also a prerequisite for the exercise of all other rights within families, schools and the larger community context. While a huge diversity of initiatives to amplify children’s voices exists around the world, we know that, in order to have the best chance of being effective, participation approaches must be meaningful and adapted to the local context.In this podcast, Amanda Griffith CEO of Family for Every Child speaks  to Deep Purkayastha,  Director of Praajak, based in Kolkata, India.  Established in 1997, “Praajak” means charioteer, the one who guides and mentors. With a focus on child protection issues such as unsafe migration, child trafficking, child sexual abuse, early and forced marriages and child labour, Praajak uses a rights-based approach to support young people and the communities they live in to forge their own paths to empowerment.  For more information on Praajak visit: https://www.familyforeverychild.org/praajak?locale=en

Today’s podcast is our second on the topic of domestic violence, and its impact on children, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus today is on Sri Lanka, in South Asia. Champa Gunasekera and Samitha Sugathimala from the Foundation for Innovative Social Development (or FISD), in Sri Lanka speak to us about how FISD has been tackling the very serious issue of domestic violence during the pandemic.During the pandemic, like many other countries, Sri Lanka has experienced lockdowns and school closures. These measures have mitigated the spread of COVID-19 but have also increased the risk factors for domestic violence. Raised stress levels in homes, with families together all of the time in the absence of school or work, have placed heavy strains on relationships. Globally, there has been an alarming rise in domestic violence, which the UN has described as “the shadow pandemic of domestic violence”.FISD was established in 2011 to address gaps in social development in Sri Lanka and tackle the factors contributing to widespread poverty. By addressing issues such as child rights abuses, alcohol and other drug dependence, and gender-based violence, the organisation works to strengthen families and prevent separation. Its programmes empower women and promote positive masculinity for men and boys.To learn more about FSID's work click here (https://fisd.lk/). Visit https://familyforeverychild.org/ for more information on Family for Every Child's network and the CSOs that are part of it.

In this podcast Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child speaks to Kate Bundle, Chief Executive of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, based in Auckland, New Zealand. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG), was established in 2001, and grew out of a grass roots movement of support groups responding to the difficulties facing kin carers. GRG saw grandparents struggling to adjust to their roles as caregivers, and facing financial, social, and mental health difficulties. So now GRG supports over 9,000 grandparents and 16,000 children, providing caregivers across New Zealand with advocacy support, community outreach and support groups, information resources, and a trauma-informed education programme called SALT - “Simply Acquired and Learned TechniquesTo listen to this podcast visit https://www.howwecare.community/podcasts or search for 'Family for Every Child' on Spotify.

Family for Every Child is a growing network of currently 41 local civil society organisations working on the ground in 37 countries, and these organisations have a wealth of knowledge and experience from years of working with children and communities to develop solutions to improve children’s care.Today’s podcast focuses upon the topic of domestic violence, and its impact on children, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world responded to the spread of COVID-19 by imposing lockdowns, quarantines and school closures. While these measures have contained the spread of the virus, they have also increased the risk factors for intimate partner violence and child abuse, leading to what the UN has described as “the shadow pandemic of domestic violence”. Family for Every Child alliance members have reported that domestic violence has increasingly become an issue to which they have to respond. Our members have been in close contact with children, families and communities during the pandemic. And they have seen that domestic violence is being inflicted on children either directly in the form of child abuse, or through children being affected by the increased intimate partner violence within families. Today's podcast is in conversation with Iftekhar Ahmed,  Director of the Centre for Services and Information on Disability (known as CSID), based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. CSID was established in Bangladesh in 1997 with the aim of reducing discrimination against marginalised people, and addressing barriers to accessing rights. Their particular focus is on the protection of children with disabilities. In Bangladesh, families trying to care for children with disabilities at home often receive no or minimal support, which is often a key factor in children’s separation from families. Through their work across child protection, sexual and gender-based violence, institutional and policy reform, access to skills and livelihoods, and more, CSID works to help families stay together.For more information on Family for Every Child visit: www.familyforeverychild.orgFor more information on CSID visit: http://www.csid-bd.com/

Family for Every Child is a growing network of currently 41 local civil society organisations working on the ground in 37 countries, and these organisations have a wealth of knowledge and experience from years of working with children and communities to develop solutions to improve children’s care.Today’s podcast focuses upon a topic which is a high priority for our Alliance - Kinship Care.Kinship care – that is the care of children by relatives or friends of the family - represents a significant resource available for meeting the needs of girls and boys who are orphaned or otherwise live apart from their parents. 1 in 10 children worldwide are living in kinship care. In some countries, it is as high as 1 in 3. This makes it the most common type of care, after parental care. At Family for Every Child we believe that kinship care needs increased recognition and support and needs to be the first care option for children outside of parental care. Today I’m delighted to be talking to Blessing Mutama, who is the Director of Farm Orphan Support Trust (known as FOST), based in Harare, Zimbabwe. FOST has been an active member of our Alliance since 2015 and Blessing is one of our Board members.Since 1997, FOST has been supporting vulnerable children in Zimbabwe, particularly in farm worker communities. Zimbabwe faces multiple challenges that affect the capacity of families and communities to protect and care for children. The country is home to around 1.5 million orphaned and vulnerable children. About 1 in every 4 has lost one or both of their parents - the majority to HIV and AIDS. FOST enables community-based protection systems in remote areas, and works to ensure that children can grow up with their siblings in a familiar environment. They run the Supporting Orphaned and Vulnerable Children programme (known as SOVC), and kinship care is a core component of this work. For more information on Family for Every Child visit: https://www.familyforeverychild.org/For more information on FOST visit: https://www.facebook.com/fost.co.zw/

Join Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child in conversation with Zeny Rosales from the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (known as CPTCSA) in the Philippines. CPTCSA provides therapeutic support to young perpetrators and survivors of child sexual abuse, and trains parents and foster carers of children who have been sexually abused. In this final episode of our Power of Civil Society mini-series we hear about a clear example of a practice exchange between CSOs leading to a joint research project, which in turn provided the evidence for collaborative advocacy efforts. Zeny and Amanda discuss this trajectory using the example of a project that looked at the issue of sexual violence affecting boys. They also discuss the latest initiative on the same issue: The Blue Umbrella Day campaign, a current advocacy campaign that CPTCSA is co-leading with three other CSOs that aims to raise awareness of how to better care for and protect boys from sexual violence.In our Power of Civil Society mini-series, we are looking at the positive outcomes that occur when civil society organisations come together and collaborate. This series supports the launch of Changemakers for Children, our online platform that aims to create a strong, global community of civil society organisations to create lasting change for children around the world.For more information on Family for Every Child and to hear more podcasts click here.

Join Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child in conversation with Suzanne Clulow from the Children in Distress Network (known as CINDI), in South Africa. CINDI is a diverse network of over 250 South African civil society organisations championing the rights of vulnerable children and their families.Suzanne and Amanda discuss a joint research project that CINDI were involved in with two other Family for Every Child members, which looked at the linkages between social protection and children’s care in Sub-Saharan Africa. Suzanne shares her insights into the project and together with Amanda discusses why collaborating on a research project brings added value for local CSOs.In our Power of Civil Society mini-series, we are looking at the positive outcomes that occur when civil society organisations come together and collaborate. This series supports the launch of Changemakers for Children, our online platform that aims to create a strong, global community of civil society organisations to create lasting change for children around the world.For more information on Family for Every Child and to hear more podcasts click here.

Join Amanda Griffith, CEO of Family for Every Child in conversation with Rita Panicker, CEO of Butterflies in India, and Isabel Crowley, Director of JUCONI in Mexico. Butterflies works to protect and empower street and working children in New Delhi. And in Puebla, Mexico, JUCONI works to prevent and heal the consequences of domestic violence affecting children, young people and their families who are living on the street or in extreme poverty.Rita and Isabel share their experiences of practice exchange and reflect on the way both of their organisations have learned from each other. Together with Amanda, they also discuss the importance of peer-to-peer learning for CSOs and the challenges and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic presents.In our Power of Civil Society mini-series, we are looking at the positive outcomes that occur when civil society organisations come together and collaborate. This series supports the launch of Changemakers for Children, our online platform that aims to create a strong, global community of civil society organisations to create lasting change for children around the world.For more information on Family for Every Child and to hear more podcasts click here.