Deinstitutionalisation Of Children Research Articles

The deinstitutionalization of children and adolescents in El Salvador's child protection system

BackgroundIn 2010, El Salvador introduced legislation aimed at reforming the country's Child Protective System (CPS), with a focus on promoting deinstitutionalization. ObjectiveThe study aim was to explore the impact of deinstitutionalization on the Salvadoran CPS. Participants and settingThe study was conducted in El Salvador, granting authors unique access to key informants with extensive experience in the country's CPS. Unlike the United States, which is divided into states, El Salvador is divided into departments, and CPS providers were recruited from all 14 departments. Focus groups were facilitated in the East, West, and Central zones to ensure representation from all regions. MethodsQualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 26) were conducted in June/July of 2019, which were then followed by focus groups (n = 4) in August 2019. The analysis of the data employed a combination of deductive and inductive thematic coding methods. ResultsCPS providers offered valuable insights, categorized into five main themes: (1) Strengths of El Salvador's CPS, (2) Deinstitutionalization policy encompassing socioenvironmental contextual factors, (3) Challenges in the deinstitutionalization process, including insufficient follow-up on deinstitutionalized children, (4) Recommendations from participants, highlighting the importance of enhancing stakeholder coordination/collaboration, and (5) The necessity for a paradigm shift, emphasizing the need to redefine the social contract on protecting children from child maltreatment. ConclusionsThe Salvadoran CPS requires substantial systemic changes. Encouragingly, key informants have demonstrated a commitment to reform not only the deinstitutionalization process but also the broader CPS system in El Salvador including case management and quality of care in institutional settings.

Deinstitutionalization of children in residential care facilities: Experiences and perceptions of professionals in Ghana

AbstractAccording to the literature, the success of deinstitutionalization (DI) practices in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) is dependent on key factors including, a well‐functioning family‐based alternative care and social protection system, adequate funding and resources, and professional and other stakeholders' engagement and support. Following a practice research qualitative method, the study explored practitioner's experiences and perceptions on the status of Ghana's ongoing DI efforts and their recommendations for improving implementation. The study's main themes were establishing the need for residential homes for children (RHCs), RHCs not being an ideal family environment and RHCs as respite. Family marital problems, poor financial situation, stigma attached to some children in care, abusive parents and a lack of suitable alternatives when families have a crisis were identified as key factors that impede DI implementation in Ghana. The findings suggest the need for a progressive approach towards DI implementation in LMICs, with the first step being the re‐positioning of RHCs as respite care centres while progressively developing other alternative family‐based care options (such as kinship care) for children.

Socio-ecological drivers of vulnerabilities of children living within orphan homes and the implications for their nurturance care.

At the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is the vision to "leave no one behind, and to see that all children survive, thrive and transform. However, some categories of children may remain left behind owing to their disproportionate exposure to the risk of threats and deficit of attention to the social and ecological climate that characterizes the various systems in which they are found. This study is concerned with one major question: Despite diverse local and international instruments that favor full nurturance and development of children, what social forces play as threat to full nurturance care in the context of children living in Orphan homes? Nurturing care framework and Brofenbrener's ecological system theory were adopted as the analytical frameworks. Research design was exploratory. Data were collected through sessions of in-depth-interview with orphanage managers, caregivers, and social workers on the socio-ecology drivers of threat to children living within the orphan home space and its implications for nurturance care across the various complex systems of the child's environment. The study found various factors across the complex systems of child development - microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, microsysm and lastly, chronosystem- which undermine caregivers' delivery and increases children's vulnerability and risk of missing out on effective nurturance care. These vulnerabilities are endemic realities of social, and bio-ecologcal space in which child development occurs. This study recommends specialized interventions and policy directives relevant for each identified threat. It also calls for a stronger political will in improving the conditions of this category of the children while within the orphan home space and ultimately, actions towards deinstitutionalization of children.

Alternative Care Mechanisms in Jharkhand: Analysing the Implementation Barriers; Its Potential to Prevent Family Separation and Strengthening Family-based Care of Vulnerable Children in Jharkhand

The required operational framework of a community-based care mechanism as envisaged under the Revised Integrated Child Protection Scheme and the National Plan of Action for Children 2016, fails to both prevent and effectively respond to the vulnerabilities of children in need of care and protection. Resonance of such unplanned community programming shifts the focus towards institutionalisation of children, thus grossly violating ‘institutionalization as a measure of last resort’, one of the fundamental principles governing the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015. The act critically justifies the need to empower vulnerable families to care for children and re-emphasises the preventive role in ensuring family-based care or keep children in alternative care setting. The alternative care (sponsorship and foster care) guidelines in Jharkhand was launched in 2018. Since then, it has been found that the state is struggling to implement it. Though there has been some progress in the sponsorship scheme implementation, the kinship and foster care remains completely neglected. Child in Need Institute (CINI) is partnering with Hope & Homes for Children (HHC) since 2017 for pushing the agenda for deinstitutionalisation of children through a two-pronged approach of model creation and district-level technical support to the ICPS system. Working closely with communities in preventing family separation, led to the understanding that there is a huge need to address the structural gaps for implementing the alternative care guidelines in true spirit. The purpose of the article is to do a systematic analysis of the implementation of the alternative care guidelines in the state and map out the implementation bottlenecks/barriers (systemic, structural and operational), hindering its smooth implementation. Besides that, the article will also try to establish a causal linkage between implementation of alternative care guidelines and dependency on institutional care, thus reflecting the potential of such mechanisms in promoting deinstitutionalisation. The research methodology will be a mix of qualitative and quantitative tools. Tools like content analysis of the key informants’ interviews and case studies will be used to understand the implementation barriers. A quantitative analysis of the secondary data on sponsorship scheme implementation will be done to analyse the gaps. Besides that, the experiences of children and their parents who have been linked with alternative care will also be analysed. District stakeholder consultations in 2 districts will be done to enlist the recommendations for the state. Thus, the key research question that would guide this article are: (a) What are the barriers to implementation of the alternative care program in its current form? and (b) What are the changes that should be made in the guidelines and its implementation process? The article will thus be an advocacy tool for influencing the state government for enhanced priority and investments in alternative care program and reduced focus on institutional care.

Children in institutional settings

It is difficult to imagine now, but during the 1970s there were nearly 40 000 children living in institutions in England. The experience could be horrific for children. The reports of the abuse and maltreatment of many of those children that took place are widespread and led to a marked decline in the use of institutional homes for children and a drive towards fostering for most children entering care. 1 Narey M Residential care in England: report of Sir Martin Narey's independent review of children's residential care. Department for Education, London, UK2016 Google Scholar Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children 1: a systematic and integrative review of evidence regarding effects on developmentMillions of children worldwide are brought up in institutional care settings rather than in families. These institutions vary greatly both in terms of their organisational principles and structure, and in terms of the quality of care provided. Although institutions are universally recognised as providing suboptimal caregiving environments, consensus is still needed on how to interpret the evidence relating to the size, range, and persistence of the effect of institutional care on the development and wellbeing of children. Full-Text PDF Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children 2: policy and practice recommendations for global, national, and local actorsWorldwide, millions of children live in institutions, which runs counter to both the UN-recognised right of children to be raised in a family environment, and the findings of our accompanying systematic review of the physical, neurobiological, psychological, and mental health costs of institutionalisation and the benefits of deinstitutionalisation of child welfare systems. In this part of the Commission, international experts in reforming care for children identified evidence-based policy recommendations to promote family-based alternatives to institutionalisation. Full-Text PDF Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children: the Executive Summary from a Lancet Group CommissionThis Lancet Group Commission advocates global reform of the care of separated children through the progressive replacement of institutional provision with safe and nurturing family-based care. It provides essential information on both the global scale of institutionalisation and its physical, social, and mental health consequences. It presents a pragmatic roadmap for carefully managed change. Here we outline the ten key messages from the Commission. Full-Text PDF Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children – Authors' replyThe Lancet Commission Group appreciates the important comments from the Validity Foundation, European Network on Independent Living, Disability Rights International, Inclusion International, and the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Full-Text PDF

Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children: the Executive Summary from a Lancet Group Commission

This Lancet Group Commission advocates global reform of the care of separated children through the progressive replacement of institutional provision with safe and nurturing family-based care. It provides essential information on both the global scale of institutionalisation and its physical, social, and mental health consequences. It presents a pragmatic roadmap for carefully managed change. Here we outline the ten key messages from the Commission.

A child's right to family

“People who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those who are doing it.” This quote by George Bernard Shaw was used as the title of an article about a severely disabled boy in Rwanda with cerebral palsy who made remarkable developmental gains after being deinstitutionalised and placed in a foster family by Hope for Homes for Children,1 an organisation at the forefront of a growing global movement to eliminate institutional care. The first part of the Lancet Group Commission on institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of children in The Lancet Psychiatry by Marinus van IJzendoorn and colleagues2 highlights the necessity of deinstitutionalising children, and the second part in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health by Philip Goldman and colleagues3 provides a blueprint for achieving this goal.

Incentive-based Social Welfare Administration in Indonesia: Implications for sustainable development in women’s and children’s protection

This article brings together two discrete studies of Indonesian welfare innovations, the conditional cash transfer and the deinstitutionalisation of children, both delivered at the lowest administrative level by social workers. Patterns across the two studies indicated a confounding variable influential in social workers’ innovation implementation and administrative decisions. This variable, incentive-based remuneration, was inhibiting implementation and potentially sustaining the social inequalities and rights violations that each innovation proposed to address. Social workers’ over-reliance on remuneration incentives has inherent problems. Increases to base-rates of pay and realignment of incentivisation in development are needed to support change.

THE SYSTEM OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN BULGARIA AND THE PROCESS OF DEINSTITUTIONALISATION OF CHILDREN

Development of social services in Bulgaria is predetermined by the policies of last decades of the last century and is characterized by a number of features arising from the difficult transition to a market economy and modern challenges of dynamic social and economic environment. Social services are activities targeted at supporting assisted persons to conduct a complete way of life and full inclusion in society. Social services are aimed mainly at social integration of people, giving them the opportunity to lead an independent life and not to be dependent on the service or the institution. Development of social services in community is the key to effective social inclusion, poverty alleviation and participation in society of all vulnerable groups. In recent years, policy in the sphere of social services in Bulgaria is directed to development of services in community and home to replace the institutional model of care. Planning and implementation of national policy of reforms in child care is directly related to children at risk and better recognition of their problems and needs. Purposeful activities are carried out and programs are being implemented to achieve one of the main objectives of this policy - deinstitutionalization of children. Based on European practices and models activities and methods of child care are successfully realized. Presented study on the development of social services for children, with a special emphasis on deinstitutionalization, makes analyses of the system of social services for children as set in main strategic documents and statistical data. The aim is to identify key processes, trends and issues and to make recommendations for policy improvements. Main results emphasize that in order to achieve the desired effects new approaches and measures are needed in application of running strategies. Main recommendations are defined for implementation of social policies for children and a conceptual framework of child care is proposed. It is important and necessary to develop a policy that will not only offer appropriate care for children at risk in the short term, but will also to prevent possible problems in the future .

PROCESS OF DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION OF CHILDREN AT RISK IN BULGARIA

In recent years in Bulgaria the type of institutional care for children at risk is changing giving priority to family and close to family environment. The will to implement this process of all involved responsible agencies, institutions and non-governmental organizations has found expression in a number of regulations, strategic and program documents, as well as innovative and successful practices. Economic, political and social changes that accompany the transition has led to new problems and exacerbated existing problems. Current study makes analyses of the national strategy for deinstitutionalization of children and concludes on important recommendations concerning national policy development. The policy should be based on the respect of child rights, norms, standards and principles of universality, indivisibility and nondiscrimination, while characterized by high sensitivity, flexibility and preparedness to meet the challenges. It is important and necessary to develop a policy that will not only offer appropriate care for children at risk in the short term, but will prevent similar problems in the future .

The System of Social Services in Bulgaria and the Process of Deinstitutionalisation of Children

Development of social services in Bulgaria is predetermined by the policies of last decades of the last century and is characterized by a number of features arising from the difficult transition to a market economy and modern challenges of dynamic social and economic environment. Social services are activities targeted at supporting assisted persons to conduct a complete way of life and full inclusion in society. Social services are aimed mainly at social integration of people, giving them the opportunity to lead an independent life and not to be dependent on the service or the institution. Development of social services in community is the key to effective social inclusion, poverty alleviation and participation in society of all vulnerable groups. In recent years, policy in the sphere of social services in Bulgaria is directed to development of services in community and home to replace the institutional model of care. Planning and implementation of national policy of reforms in child care is directly related to children at risk and better recognition of their problems and needs. Purposeful activities are carried out and programs are being implemented to achieve one of the main objectives of this policy - deinstitutionalization of children. Based on European practices and models activities and methods of child care are successfully realized. Presented study on the development of social services for children, with a special emphasis on deinstitutionalization, makes analyses of the system of social services for children as set in main strategic documents and statistical data. The aim is to identify key processes, trends and issues and to make recommendations for policy improvements. Main results emphasize that in order to achieve the desired effects new approaches and measures are needed in application of running strategies. Main recommendations are defined for implementation of social policies for children and a conceptual framework of child care is proposed. It is important and necessary to develop a policy that will not only offer appropriate care for children at risk in the short term, but will also to prevent possible problems in the future.

Comparing reunified and residential care facility children's wellbeing in Ghana: The role of hope

The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) stipulates children are entitled to “a family environment…of happiness, love and understanding”. Recent work on deinstitutionalization of children from residential care has found important child wellbeing differences, particularly around hope. Using data from Ghana—a country that has initiated reintegration of children from residential care facilities, therefore providing a natural opportunity for comparative research—we used hope, whether the child has been reunified with family/caregivers or remained in the care facility, and a statistical interaction of the two, along with controls, to predict the Child Status Index, an internationally-established measure of child wellbeing. We found hope was associated with greater wellbeing for both groups; the influence of hope, however, was stronger among reunified children. We briefly articulate mechanisms explaining why this may be and suggest that psychological wellbeing, particularly hope, may function as a moderator to help provide children with an important means of negotiating their environments.

Deinstitutionalisation of Children in Care with Special Focus on Institutional Care in South Asia

Deinstitutionalisation of Children in Care with Special Focus on Institutional Care in South Asia

Deinstitutionalisation of children in care with special focus on institutional care in South Asia

Deinstitutionalisation of children in care with special focus on institutional care in South Asia

(Deinstitutionalisation of Children As Part of the Development of Social Services in Bulgaria)

Bulgarian Abstract: Развитието на социалните услуги в България е предопределено от следваните политики от последните десетилетия на миналия век и се характеризира с ред особености, породени от трудния преход към пазарна икономика, както и от съвременните предизвикателства на динамичната социална и икономическа среда. Социалните услуги са дейности, насочени към подкрепа на подпомаганите лица за водене на пълноценен начин на живот и пълноценно включване в обществото. Социалните услуги целят основно социалната интеграция на лицата, като им се предоставя възможност да водят самостоятелен начин на живот, а не да бъдат зависими от услугата, респективно институцията. Развитието на социалните услуги в общността е ключов фактор за ефективно социално включване, борбата с бедността и участието в живота на обществото на всички уязвими групи. През последните години политиката в сферата на социалните услуги в България е насочена към развитие на услуги в общността и в домашна среда, които да заменят институционалния модел на грижа.Планирането и реализирането на националната политика за реформа в грижата за детето е пряко свързана с и за децата в риск и познаваща добре техните проблеми и потребности. Целенасочено се провеждат дейности и реализират програми за постигане на една от основните цели на тази политика - деинституционализация на децата. Базирайки се на европейски практики и модели, успешно се реализират дейности и се прилагат методи за грижа за детето. Представеното проучване на развитието на социалните услуги за деца с акцент върху деинституционализацията на деца анализира системата на социални услуги за деца, заложена в основните стратегически документи и статистически данни. Целта е да се идентифицират основните процеси, тенденции и проблеми и да се направят препоръки за подобрения в политиките. Основните резултати подчертават, че за да бъдат постигнати желаните ефекти са необходими нови подходи и мерки в приложение на действащите стратегии. Дефинирани са основни препоръки за изпълнение на социалните политики за деца и е изведена концептуална рамка на грижата за деца. Важно и необходимо е да се развива политика, която не само ще предложи подходяща грижа за децата в риск в краткосрочен план, но и ще предотврати възможни проблеми в бъдеще. English Abstract: Development of social services in Bulgaria is predetermined by the policies of last decades of the last century and is characterized by a number of features arising from the difficult transition to a market economy and modern challenges of dynamic social and economic environment. Social services are activities targeted at supporting assisted persons to conduct a complete way of life and full inclusion in society. Social services are aimed mainly at social integration of people, giving them the opportunity to lead an independent life and not to be dependent on the service or the institution. Development of social services in community is the key to effective social inclusion, poverty alleviation and participation in society of all vulnerable groups. In recent years, policy in the sphere of social services in Bulgaria is directedto development of services in community and home to replace the institutional model of care. Planning and implementation of national policy of reforms in child care is directly related to children at risk and better recognition of their problems and needs. Purposeful activities are carried out and programs are being implemented to achieve one of the main objectives of this policy - deinstitutionalization of children. Based on European practices and models activities and methods of child care are successfully realized. Presented study on the development of social services for children, with a special emphasis on deinstitutionalization,makes analyses of the system of social services for children as set in main strategic documents and statistical data. The aim is to identify key processes, trends and issues and to make recommendations for policy improvements. Main results emphasize that in order to achieve the desired effects new approaches and measures are needed in application of running strategies. Main recommendations are defined for implementation of social policies for children and a conceptual framework of child care is proposed. It is important and necessary to develop a policy that will not only offer appropriate care for children at risk in the short term, but will also to prevent possible problems in the future.

(Deinstitutionalisation of Children As Part of the Development of Social Services in Bulgaria)

Russian Abstract: Развитие социальных услуг в Болгарии предопределено проводимыми в последние десяти- летия прошлого века политиками и характеризуется рядом особенностей, связанных с трудным переходом к рыночной экономике, а также с современными проблемами развития динамической социально-экономической среды. Социальные услуги являются мероприятиями, направленными на поддержку лиц с целью ведения ими полноценного образа жизни и полноценного включения в общество. Социальные услуги направлены в основном на социальную интеграцию лиц, предоставляя им возможность вести самостоятельный образ жизни, а не быть зависимыми от услуг, соответственно от учреждений. Развитие социальных услуг в обществе является ключевым фактором для эффективного социального включения, борьбы сбедностью и участия в жизни общества всех уязвимых групп. В последние годы политика в сфере социальных услуг в Болгарии была направлена на развитие услуг в обществе и в домашней среде, которые должны заменить модель воспитания ребенка в учреждениеинтернатного типа. Планирование и реализация национальной политики реформ в области ухода за детьми, напрямую связано и с детьми, находящимися в рисковой среде, учитывая их проблемы и потребности. Целенаправленно проводятся мероприятия и реализуются программы для достижения одной из главных целей этой политики - деинституционализации детей (вывода детей из учреждений интернатного типа). Основываясь на европейскую практику и модель, успешно реализуются мероприятия и применяются соответствующие методы воспитания детей. Представленное исследование развития социальных услуг для детей ставит акцент на деинституционализацию детей, проведение анализа системы социальных услуг для детей, заложенной в основные стратегические документы и статистические данные. Цель заключается в определении основных процессов, тенденций и проблем, формулировке рекомендаций для улучшения данной политики. Основные результаты подчеркивают, что для постижения желанных результатов необходимо использование новых подходов и мер в применении действующих стратегий. Определены основные рекомендации для реализации социальной политики для детей и утверждены концептуальные основы воспитания детей. Важно и необходимо развивать политику, которая не только предложит надлежащую заботу о детях в рисковой среде в краткосрочной перспективе, но и позволит предотвратить возможные проблемы в будущем. English Abstract: Development of social services in Bulgaria is predetermined by the policies of last decades of the last century and is characterized by a number of features arising from the difficult transition to a market economy and modern challenges of dynamic social and economic environment. Social services are activities targeted at supporting assisted persons to conduct a complete way of life and full inclusion in society. Social services are aimed mainly at social integration of people, giving them the opportunity to lead an independent life and not to be dependent on the service or the institution. Development of social services in community is the key to effective social inclusion, poverty alleviation and participation in society of all vulnerable groups. In recent years, policy in the sphere of social services in Bulgaria is directed to development of services in community and home to replace the institutional model of care. Planning and implementation of national policy of reforms in child care is directly related to children at risk and better recognition of their problems and needs. Purposeful activities are carried out and programs are being implemented to achieve one of the main objectives of this policy - deinstitutionalization of children. Based on European practices and models activities and methods of child careare successfully realized. Presented study on the development of social services for children, with a special emphasis on deinstitutionalization, makes analyses of the system of social services for children as set in main strategic documents and statistical data. The aim is to identify key processes, trends and issues and to make recommendations for policy improvements. Main results emphasize that in order to achieve the desired effects new approaches and measures are needed in application of running strategies. Main recommendations are defined for implementation of social policies for children and a conceptual framework of child care is proposed. It is important and necessary to develop a policy that will not only offer appropriate care for children at risk in the short term, but will also to prevent possible problems in the future.

Survey of attitudes of nurse and midwife university students for provision of health and social services for children and families

The chances for human health are closely related to the conditions under which they are born and they live. The deinstitutionalization of children up to 18 years includes activities for providing community living for every child by establishing a system of services and measures ensuring the prevention of abandonment. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing career choices and the willingness of nurses and midwives to provide health and social services for prevention of abandonment of children, supporting families of children with medical risk in the family environment. Material and Methods: For the purpose of this study we examined the opinion of 40 nurse and midwife university students enrolled for the school year 2015/2016 in the branch campus - Veliko Tarnovo, with mean age of 28.7 years. Documentary method, a 9-item questionnaire and graphical analysis are used. Results and discussion : The data from this survey shows that 37.7% of respondents chose this profession because they would have a successful future realization. The choice of profession of all of the nurses is the first desire and less than half (40%) of midwives have made their first career choice. Sixty percent of all students say they would work with children with disabilities, 63% of them are partly familiar with the problems of families who raise children with disabilities. Conclusions: Based on the motivated professional choice and the positive attitude of students to the problems of children at risk and in implementation of the strategic documents, it is necessary to update the programme of studies in clinical practice and to introduce an optional subject `Early childhood intervention` in the programme of studies.

Vaikų globos namų deinstitucionalizacija Lietuvoje: ar „vežimas“ judės į priekį?

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama vaikų globos namų deinstitucionalizacijos problema Lietuvoje, pateikiamos kai kurių globos namų socialinių darbuotojų įžvalgos ir patirtys šiuo pereinamuoju laikotarpiu. Institucinė vaiko globa pastaraisiais metais kritikuojama kaip ydinga vaiko visapusiškam vystymuisi ir ugdymui, tačiau pastebima, kad prasidėjusi sistemos pertvarka yra sudėtingas procesas, pastaraisiais metais daugiausia stringantis dėl politinės valios stokos, dalyvaujančių subjektų (valdžios institucijų, globos namų, bendruomenių, mokslininkų) aktyvaus ir darnaus veikimo bei bendradarbiavimo trūkumo. Kartu akivaizdu, kad vaikų globos namų deinstitualizacija yra nacionalinio lygmens problema ir šis procesas neįmanomas be didesnio visos visuomenės įsitraukimo ir žmonių sąmoningumo pokyčių.

The Deinstitutionalization of Children in Bulgaria – The Role of the EU

AbstractIn this article, the role of the EU as a key factor for the development of the deinstitutionalization of children is explored. A series of hypotheses concerning EU funding, policies and politics are addressed with regards to how the EU as a whole has affected the deinstitutionalization of children. The article explains the presence of association between instigation of public interest and civil mobilization and the launch of a nationwide reform – in particular how advocacy both at national and EU level led to the adoption of a national reform strategy in Bulgaria. Further, the association between the availability of an innovative approach to spending the EU funds and the decision generally to reform the system for institutional care for children is presented. The article explains the difference that €107.6 million will make for Bulgaria's abandoned children if the European structural funds are realized with their full potential. On the other hand, it reveals the challenges that the process is facing. A great deal of non‐governmental organization (NGO) experience concerning EU involvement in the process has been generalized and construed in order to achieve the best possible understanding of the whole process, the key players and the fundamental issues.

Postcommunist Deinstitutionalization of Children With Disabilities in Romania

The author examines the policies and treatment of children institutionalized during and after the communist regime, the adoption policies for these children, the human rights claimed in the name of these children, and the ecology of disabilities in Romania. Institutionalized children fell into three categories: children who had one or more minor to severe disabilities, children who had been abandoned, and children who were part of ethnic minorities, especially the Roma. The author reviews the literature on these topics and adds her own perspective, as a Romanian special education teacher and researcher. While during communism, institutionalized persons were invisible to the public and kept in inhuman conditions, after communism, increased awareness about the situation in state institutions and about disabilities and human rights in general led to the adoption and implementation of new disability-friendly policies. Currently, there is increased advocacy for the rights of the people with disabilities, although great challenges remain.