Projects

1. “ANOTHER FUTURE IS POSSIBLE: PROMOTING FAMILY REINTEGRATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES LIVING IN INSTITUTIONS IN VIETNAM

“Another Future is Possible” is an international programme to promote family life and appropriate care for children with disabilities without parental care. International Social Service (ISS) implements this programme in countries at the request of and in collaboration with national and/or local authorities. In Vietnam, this project is carried out in partnership with the Vietnamese child protection authorities (Ministry Of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs-MOLISA) and the American NGO SPOON.

The priority is to help these children return home where possible and in their best interests, in collaboration with the Vietnamese child protection authorities (MOLISA) whose recent strategy is to promote community-based care for children with disabilities.

ISS and its partner SPOON aim to support families during the family reintegration process by supporting them in their role as parents and ensuring that the reintegration of the child with a disability is safe, successful and sustainable. 

In parallel, they also seek to improve the quality of care in 14 Vietnamese CPSs, in order to better respond to the immediate needs of children with disabilities and prepare them for family reintegration. The national team (12 Vietnamese trainers, 6 trained and monitored by ISS and 6 trained and monitored by SPOON) will train and monitor CPS staff on how to care for, stimulate, ensure adequate nutrition and plan the care of children with disabilities using innovative and digital tools.

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND GOALS (PHASE 2)

Continue to improve the basic day-to-day care of children with disabilities in orphanages to better respond to their urgent and immediate needs through training and appropriate and comprehensive follow-up. The capacities of social workers are strengthened to facilitate the family reintegration process adapted to the specific needs of disabled children and their families.

• Restore the safety, dignity and bonding of children with disabilities living in orphanages where they are extremely vulnerable and at high risk of neglect, violence, abuse and malnutrition.
• To address the root causes of abandonment and separation from families, supporting and empowering families in their role as parents to care for their child at home.
• Strengthen the capacity of Local Social Centres to promote family reunification, including family strengthening services.

3. PROGRAMME & PHASES

OBJECTIVE 1:

To improve the quality of care for children with disabilities living in 14 partner CPSs (psychosocial support, adapted care, adequate nutrition, safe feeding and stimulation) and the adapted individual management of care plans and life plans by equipping orphanage staff with assessment and intervention tools to support family reintegration.

Main steps :

• 6 Vietnamese expert trainers are prepared to deliver training on social work, including individual case management and family reintegration promotion.
• 14 SPCs are trained and monitored by the ISS and SPOON team of trainers.
• A Digital Child Lifebook Application is piloted in 4 CPSs by April 2022 and rolled out to all 14 CPSs by December 2022.
• An operational guide for SPCs on quality of care and family reintegration is drafted based on lessons learned and promising practices collected during this phase, by June 2023.

OBJECTIVE 2:

To ensure successful and sustainable family reintegration of children with disabilities living in CPSs, wherever possible and deemed in the best interests of the child, in two pilot provinces.

Main steps

• Study the root causes of child abandonment in CPSs and identify existing community-based support services for families and the gaps in this area.
• The capacity of social workers (employed by social work centres) in two pilot provinces in Vietnam (Binh Duong and Quang Ninh) will be strengthened to trace, assess and prepare families to reintegrate children with disabilities through training on parenting and nutrition.
• Psychosocial support for parents and community support services will also be available.
• Monitor the social workers working in the two Social Work Centres in the two pilot provinces and provide them with a technical guide for conducting reintegration plans.
• Draft a Standard Operating Procedure on family reintegration and a guide for parents to promote quality care at home.