Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 18 No 3, Nov 2019
Since 2016, the Egyptian Government has made several changes in the Alternative Families System t... more Since 2016, the Egyptian Government has made several changes in the Alternative Families System that aims to provide children without parental care, especially abandoned ones, with families. The study assesses this flagship programme using the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care for Children as the main guiding framework, combined with qualitative methodological approaches, based on a purposive sample of key informants, consisting of governmental officials, national and international organisations, using in-depth interviews as the main tool for data collection. On one hand, the state declares its responsibility towards children without parental care. Moreover, it involved the assembly of a new national committee for alternative families. On the other hand, there are limitations which affect the increasing number of abandoned children, such as the inability of unmarried mothers to register their children and thus find proper support. In addition there was the non-existence of preventive strategies such as families' rehabilitation programmes. Finally, negative societal stereotyping towards abandoned children was identified especially by government officials administering the programme. The study recommends reviewing the existing legal framework to ensure its proper execution through allocating financial resources, upgrading the existing human capital and related systems, and developing a national alternative care strategy.
Institutional Reforms, Governance, and Services Delivery in the Global South, Nov 25, 2021
There are several studies that provide evidence for the negative effects of residential care for ... more There are several studies that provide evidence for the negative effects of residential care for children. This chapter applies system analysis and child-centric approaches to assess the Children Alternative Care System (CACS) deinstitutionalization in Egypt. The study attempts to answer these questions: What is the assessment framework for the CACS considering the international frameworks? What are the strengths and the gaps within the CACS in Egypt? The study conducted systematic review for literature on alternative care for children, used participant’s observation and applied qualitative methodological approaches which are based on a purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The study highlights the lack of variety of care options, mechanisms of gatekeeping, and family reintegration. The study’s main recommendation is to have a holistic alternative care strategy guided by deinstitutionalization and not only focusing on alternative families’ program as a main intervention to improve the system.
Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care Vol 18 No 3, Nov 2019
Since 2016, the Egyptian Government has made several changes in the Alternative Families System t... more Since 2016, the Egyptian Government has made several changes in the Alternative Families System that aims to provide children without parental care, especially abandoned ones, with families. The study assesses this flagship programme using the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care for Children as the main guiding framework, combined with qualitative methodological approaches, based on a purposive sample of key informants, consisting of governmental officials, national and international organisations, using in-depth interviews as the main tool for data collection. On one hand, the state declares its responsibility towards children without parental care. Moreover, it involved the assembly of a new national committee for alternative families. On the other hand, there are limitations which affect the increasing number of abandoned children, such as the inability of unmarried mothers to register their children and thus find proper support. In addition there was the non-existence of preventive strategies such as families' rehabilitation programmes. Finally, negative societal stereotyping towards abandoned children was identified especially by government officials administering the programme. The study recommends reviewing the existing legal framework to ensure its proper execution through allocating financial resources, upgrading the existing human capital and related systems, and developing a national alternative care strategy.
Institutional Reforms, Governance, and Services Delivery in the Global South, Nov 25, 2021
There are several studies that provide evidence for the negative effects of residential care for ... more There are several studies that provide evidence for the negative effects of residential care for children. This chapter applies system analysis and child-centric approaches to assess the Children Alternative Care System (CACS) deinstitutionalization in Egypt. The study attempts to answer these questions: What is the assessment framework for the CACS considering the international frameworks? What are the strengths and the gaps within the CACS in Egypt? The study conducted systematic review for literature on alternative care for children, used participant’s observation and applied qualitative methodological approaches which are based on a purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The study highlights the lack of variety of care options, mechanisms of gatekeeping, and family reintegration. The study’s main recommendation is to have a holistic alternative care strategy guided by deinstitutionalization and not only focusing on alternative families’ program as a main intervention to improve the system.
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