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11/23/2020 - 11/25/2020 | Hildesheim

International Care Leaver´s Convention 2020

The International Care Leavers Convention, a virtual event scheduled for November 23-25, is a first-of-its-kind global forum that registers the humanitarian, social and economic urgency of bolstering facilities for Care Leavers, a global generation of youth with experience of growing up in care.

The Stiftung Universität Hildesheim, SOS Children´s Villages, the children´s and youth´ aid organisations Kinder Perspectief (Netherlands and South East Europe) and UDAYAN care (India) are inviting to the International Care Leaver´s Convention 2020. It takes place vom 23 to 25 th november 2020 as digital conference.

Informationen auf: http://www.careleaversconvention.udayancare.in/

Convention Registration Details: http://www.careleaversconvention.udayancare.in/index.php/register/

Meaningful improvements for children and youth growing up in care can only be made in partnership with Care Leavers who have experience with the care system. The solution lies in the wisdom of lived experiences of Care Leavers who Knows most what’s at stake, towards powerful lasting change. The need of the hour is to hear the unheard voices of Care Leavers and provide them a platform to improve the support and opportunities available to them, especially considering the care system exists for their benefit.
The International Care Leavers Convention is a unique opportunity to Collectivize Care Leavers at an international level and amplify the voices of children and young people – because without the insight of these young leaders our care systems won’t be effective.
The objective of the Convention is to bring Care Leavers together and provide them with a platform to emerge to learn, share and exchange experiences, knowledge and challenges on their situation such that it accentuate their voices and attracts the attention of decision makers to act upon their demands through betterment of the policy and practice related to them.

I am seventeen, soon to be eighteenI am seventeen,Soon to be eighteen,I’ll be thrown out,But the world is so loud.How will I fight?Tell me is it right?I need an Aftercare home,Same like my shelter home.Am I not the responsibility of the State?Then why am I left alone at this stage?What about the dreams I aspire toWill I be guided with rehabilitation planning?Education, friends, relationship and my community,Ooppss! Sorry I’m not even a part of the society.Wake up authority,Gift me my identity,Hear my voice, screaming for unanswered questions.Understand me, even I have potential,Hold my hand, I need a stand.I am seventeen, soon to be eighteen,And eighteen is frightening.– Priyanka Kumari and Suman Kasana

Who is this Conference for?
• Young people with Care experience who would like to connect with other Care Leavers
• Social workers, academicians, researchers, child rights professionals and experts working with children and youth in care
• Service providers who are interested in advancing the cause of Care Leavers through provisioning of various services
International Care Leavers Convention to bring care leavers together on a global platform
The International Care Leavers Convention, a virtual event scheduled for November 23-25, is a first-of-its-kind global forum that registers the humanitarian, social and economic urgency of bolstering facilities for Care Leavers, a global generation of youth with experience of growing up in care. .

Who are Care Leavers?

Any adult person who as a child has experienced care in a formal or informal Alternative Care setting and who are legally compelled to exit their care setting on attainment of adulthood.

With long term youth unemployment at a record high across the globe, Care Leavers are more likely to face a future with no employment, education or skills that leads to social isolation or homelessness leaving them at an increased risk of vulnerabilities.

Across the globe, evidence is clear that no matter where they come from, Care Leavers face similar challenges. Care Leavers’ voices echo the same sentiment of not being prepared enough to leave their child care setting and consiquently the absence of support after leaving care as a deeply owrrying factor. They have expressed the need for a strong public social service network crucial to ensure that they receive the support they require and are able to amplify their voices. Although these systems of ‘Aftercare’ exist in some countries, a list of issues running from lack of awareness to poor implementation leave flaring gaps in our ability to satisfactorily cater to the needs of these young adults. The wide gap between what is needed by Care Leavers to move to independent living anf what support systems they are actually receiving is a global concerm. Across the globe, there are tens of thousands of at-risk Care Leavers, who face the brunt of deficit social policies that do not fully or consistently account for their needs as they transition from Care facilities.

In addition to the potential humanitarian crises perpetuated by the lack of proper ‘Aftercare’ policies, Care Leavers represent a resource of untapped intellectual capital that represents a compounding economic cost. The situation has been further exacerbated by the Covid19 pandemic, which has left already-vulnerable youth further exposed, their mobility completely halted or restricted due to the nationwide lockdowns. This has resulted not only in loss of jobs and income, but also left Care Leavers in crises of food, housing, mental and physical well-being and livelihoods.

CSOs, research bodies, policy makers and governments around the world continue working towards developing proficient plans and policies on leaving care that support vulnerable youth across the globe, as they transition to independent living in mainstream society. This enables a framework of support for children and youth from Alternative Care settings developed to facilitate advocacy and policy change with commitments and recommendations specific to:

- Financial Security: Care Leavers should be provided financial assistance as well as support with jobs in the post COVID-19 situation

- Housing: All Care Leavers should have the right to guidance and financial support for housing after they leave care. Besides being a basic need, guidance around how to find, retain and manage safe housing

- Education: Besides ongoing educational support/scholarships for Care Leavers, in light of the pandemic, extra support to be provided to the Care Leavers to bridge the digital and data divide they are facing

- Career support/Employability: To ensure access to internships/ mentoring / employment opportunities commensurate with their skills.

- Psycho-Social Support: Free counselling services to be made available to all Care Leavers, besides facilitating the setting up of peer to peer network and support groups.
- Physical Health - Health, Nutrition & Hygiene: Thorough mapping of needs of Care Leavers and ensuring they have access to essential services especially nutritious food, hygiene related items and access to health services.

- Legislative/policy Reforms, Awareness & Identity: Authorities must ensure that every Care Leaver is given his/her basic set of legal documents such as passport, identity cards, disability and other caste certificates and other legal documents as appropriate that allows them to avail of the existing youth and social protection measures provided by state.

- Participation: To enable Care Leavers to become a part of the decision making process, Care Leavers must be included at local, regional, national and international levels in matters pertaining to their future at the policy and practice level

- Inclusion, Social Networks & Social Protection: A thorough mapping of children and youth leaving care and robust data management is required at the local authority, district and state level so that Care Leavers can access dedicated social protection measures, social and peer support networks.

With these and other recommendations, the International Care Leavers Convention to be held between November 23-25, 2020, is poised to raise awareness and catalyse change, both at a national and international level. The upcoming International Care Leavers Convention will assemble 500 attendees ranging from Care Leavers to policy makers and researchers to address this matter including, but not limited to:

Ms. Shubha Murthi, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, SOS Children’s Villages International
Dr. Kiran Modi, Founder and Managing Trustee of Udayan Care
Ms. Martine Tobé, creative changemaker and director of Stichting Kinderperspectief (NGO) Netherlands

Dr. Severine Thomas is a researcher at the Institute of Social Pedagogy and Organisation Studies, University of Hildesheim (Germany).

Ms. Karishma, Member, Care Leavers Association and Network, India

Ms Nimmu, Member, Generations Never Give Up, Sri Lanka

Ms Fabienne, Member Association Care Leaver Austria

Ms Laila, Member, Latin America Care Leavers Association

The Convention will also include former Care Leavers such as Mark Riddell who is now National Implementation Adviser for Care Leavers within the Department for Education, Manchester, United Kingdom. Care Leavers from several other countries including Australia, Austria, Jordan, UK, Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will also join the conversation.

Speakers at the main sessions include experts such as Professor Mike Stein, Dr. Delia Pop, Ms Mia from ISS, Ms Nancy from Lumos, Ms Amanda from UNICEF Rosa, YuWaah

Participants from a total of 68 countries have thus far registered for the main event

Over an intensive three-day virtual session of discussion and debate, the Convention aims to collate global research, define best practices and work towards implementing policy change that administers internationally cohesive, scalable solutions to secure socially, emotionally and financially stable lives for both present and future generations of Care Leavers.

The objective of the convention is also to connect Care Leavers internationally and provide them with spaces and tools that allow them to learn, share and exchange their experiences, knowledge and challenges on their situation. It also aims to empower them through various interface sessions with service providers, researchers and policy makers working with and for Care Leavers. The Convention enables Care Leavers to advocate and amplify their voices and attract the attention of decision makers to act upon their recommendations through betterment of the policy and practice related to them.

The underlying principle that informs the Convention is that of free will and respect for
youth’s dignity. It is underlined by the philosophy of “nothing for us without us” and is
anchored and driven by the Care Leavers themselves, with guidance from the Organising Committee of the Convention.

The Convention will take place from Monday 23 November to Wednesday 25 November. It is organised by Udayan Care, SOS Children’s Village, Stiftung Universität Hildesheim and Kinder Perspectief with support from UNICEF, TATA Trusts, Miracle Foundation, Friends of Foster Care, I-Partner, Wataneya Society, EPIC, YUWAAH (Generation Unlimited) and FICE.

Leading upto the Convention, pre-events curated by various partner organisations draw attention to Care Leavers’ concerns, policy-gaps, and conduct discussions with both Care Leavers and experts from across the globe, in order to draw from global care best practices and create actionable ecosystems that will mitigate existing concerns.

Convention Registration Details: http://www.careleaversconvention.udayancare.in/index.php/register/

For media enquiries please contact < Communications Rep >

Useful links:
http://www.careleaversconvention.udayancare.in/
https://www.facebook.com/voicesofcareleavers/
https://twitter.com/CareVoices
http://instagram.com/voicesofcareleavers
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC509HMTU0uz0JUSinlClNhA

Notes to the Editor on the Organising Committee Members

About Udayan Care

Udayan Care works to empower vulnerable children, women and youth across 15 states of India. In 26 years, it has impacted the lives of over 30,000 directly and thousands more through advocacy, research, publications and training programmes.
Udayan Care recently concluded a seminal study on Aftercare in India in partnership with UNICEF and Tata Trusts.

About SOS CV

SOS Children’s Village is a global federation working to protect and care for children who have lost parental care, or who stand at risk of losing it. They work with communities, partners and States to ensure that the rights of all children, in every society, are fulfilled. They are an independent, secular, apolitical, non-government organisation working in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child with five regional offices in five continents.

About Stiftung Universität Hildesheim

The University of Hildesheim – Germany has led research on young people’s rights and vulnerable groups with a focus on public child and youth care at the Institute of Social Pedagogy and Organization Studies. It founded a research cluster on residential and foster care. The Institute is also part of the International Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood from Care.

About Kinderperspectief

Kinderperspectief has been working for more than 100 years to realize a better future for children and young people in alternative care. In cooperation with young people, professionals and partner organizations. Kinderperspectief implements innovative projects in the Netherlands and South East Europe. Care Leaving, identity building & international exchange are the focus areas of Kinderperspectief's work.

Information on participating / attending:
http://www.careleaversconvention.udayancare.in/index.php/register/

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