The Blind Side: A True Story about how Quality Alternative Care Brings Out the Hidden Potentials of Children

Abstract

A child's right to alternative care in situations where he/she has no family or parents is ensured by international standards. In terms of Articles 20 (1) and 20 (2) of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), a child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State and that every state has an obligation to ensure alternative care for such a child. In order to further ensure the rights of the children deprived of parental care, the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in February 2010. In terms of the preamble, these guidelines set out desirable orientations for policy and practice required to enhance the implementation of the international standards regarding the protection and the well-being of the children deprived of parental care. Many countries are still in the process of developing their own guidelines in par with the said international standards. In this context, exemplary artistic creations on this subject can be of vital importance in order to sensitise the public as to what quality alternative care is. TheBlind Side, an Academy award winning American movie, is one such example that emphasises on the ideal family-based alternative care. The importance of the movie is that it is based on the real life story of Michael Oher, a renowned football player. The Blind Side can be reviewed in the light of quality alternative care of children in terms of access to education, dignity and self-esteem, legal status, recognition and identity, love and care, best interest concept, etc., aspired by the international standards. The movie is significant in demonstrating how a child is brought up not in the manner desired by the caregivers, but in helping to bring out the hidden potentials of the child in his/her best interest.