THE ISSUE

Death, abandonment, neglect, poverty or abuse make children vulnerable and lead children to institutions like Children’s Homes.  These homes do their best to shelter and care for children. However, the very nature of institutional living leads to many developmental and behavioural problems. The lack of personalised care combined with the extreme policing and surveillance within the homes, suppress the children’s voice and identity. To ensure their safety they are cut off from the outside world leaving them completely ill equipped to navigate it. As adults they have lower incomes than their peers, fewer support systems and often make poor, impulsive life choices that once again trap them in the vicious cycle of poverty and abuse.

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To break this cycle we need to build the agency of children while they are living in the Children’s Home and focus on addressing these contributing factors:

Developmental delays

Poor Literacy levels

Poor Academic outcomes

Poor Communication skills

Poor Leadership skills

Poor Problem Solving skills

Poor Self awareness

Poor Social awareness

Poor Critical Thinking Skills

Low Confidence and Self esteem

Problems in Interpersonal Relationships

Challenges with Emotional Regulation

Impulsive Decision Making