PNG to boost birth registration with UNICEF and Australian aid

Iris is a reporter. But when her baby arrived, she discovered that nurseries close at 3 p.m. Suddenly, her dreams had to be put on hold. 🤱 Across Europe, parents like Iris face childcare that is unaffordable, unreliable, and inflexible. To “make things work,” many mothers cut their hours or leave the workforce altogether. 🪫 Women in countries like Greece find it especially hard to balance work and family. These has clear implications not just for women, but also for the well-being, health, and financial stability of families. 🍼 In Greece, WHEN.org.gr is tackling these barriers. With support from our #EconomicOpportunities fund, they opened the country’s first co-working hub with on-site childcare and breastfeeding facilities. Because no woman should have to choose between showing up for her children and showing up for herself, her work, or her community. More on the motherhood penalty: https://lnkd.in/eT6UtPvu What else can make work actually work for mothers?

Aboriginal Community Controlled Approaches show us there’s a better way forward for child protection. The disproportionately high rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in out-of-home care (more than 20,000 Australia-wide) continues to be a national crisis. This new article in the Australian Journal of Social Issues explores why the current system is failing to support reunification for so many of these children. At the moment, preservation means keeping children with their families, and reunification means bringing them home after removal. These are treated as two separate goals with different rules and timelines. For Aboriginal children these things cannot be separated. Staying connected to family, community and culture is everything. Whether a child is still at home or trying to come back, the focus must always be on supporting the whole family, strengthening relationships and keeping children rooted in their identity. The article also shows that children are far more likely to stay connected to kin, community and culture when Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations are involved. They are also more likely to be reunited with family. Yet at the current pace it will take 57 years before case management is fully transitioned to Aboriginal organisations. We can’t wait that long. Reunification rates are critically low. Only 7.3 percent of Aboriginal children and 10.9 percent of non-Aboriginal children are reunited with family and both rates are getting worse. The system is failing everyone. Aboriginal wisdom helps explain why. The legacy of colonisation still sits at the heart of child protection. Surveillance, investigation and removal remain the default tools. Care and relationships can’t flourish in a system built on suspicion and control. For example, the article reflects on Family Group Conferences. These can be effective when used properly, but too often they are treated as an administrative task rather than a process of genuine family engagement. This shows again that relational approaches cannot simply be added into a non-relational system. This article calls for a reimagination of child protection with families and communities at the centre, rather than procedures and compliance. ➡️ The full article is here (open access) https://lnkd.in/ghkjX874 BJ Newton Paul Gray Kathleen Falster Ilan Katz Kyllie Cripps

The Arab country has developed an action plan for the period 2026–2030, in partnership with the UN agency, focusing on early childhood learning and adolescent skills development. #unicef #oman #childhood #adolescent https://lnkd.in/dG2XgFhn

Poverty is a policy choice. Here's one *incredible* policy solution to help alleviate and even prevent poverty. Paying $2500/month - and in many cases, much more - for childcare will never allow families to thrive during early years. Family-friendly policies are an essential piece of this puzzle ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gY_xwyc4

Resource for parents and caregivers on early childhood development ❤️🧠🩺 Drawing on the findings of our 2024 South African Child Gauge, we have created a guide for parents and caregivers on early childhood development. Developed in partnership with UNICEF South Africa, the easy-to-read booklet is intended to help families better understand and support the development of young children, beginning with pregnancy. The booklet guides readers on what young children need to thrive, the different phases of development, and navigating the need for extra care and support. The publication also informs parents and caregivers on the services that they are entitled to. The 2024 South African Child Gauge focuses on early childhood development – from conception until the start of formal school. At a time when South Africa is seeking solutions to complex societal challenges, the findings of #ChildGauge2024 remind us that the answers lie in early childhood. 📚 Read the 2024 Child Gauge, policy brief and poster, and download the parent and caregiver resource 🔗 https://bit.ly/4fV4C5y Investment in #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment matters, not just for children today, but because it boosts their lifelong health, education and employment prospects. To break free from intergenerational cycles of poverty, violence and ill-health, and boost national development, South Africa must focus its efforts on the sensitive period of early childhood, for investment to be most effective. With #NurturingCare and the proactive support of families, communities, and the whole of society we can protect young children from harm, enable them to thrive and build a strong foundation for national development. The 17th issue of the Child Gauge was published last August in partnership with UNICEF South Africa; the DSI-NRF Centre for Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand; the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Foundation and The LEGO Foundation. lori lake Wiedaad Slemming Linda Biersteker

The recent policy providing free maternal delivery services for teenage mothers in Kenyan hospitals is a deeply complex and unsettling issue. While free healthcare is undeniably crucial, the fact that we can comfortably discuss "teen and pregnant" in the same breath, backed by a government policy, forces a critical examination of our nation's priorities regarding child protection and safeguarding. My heart sinks to consider this as "progress." In a country that continues to grapple with the high prevalence of teen pregnancies, struggles to enforce laws against sexual predators, and fights the scourge of underage marriage, is offering free delivery services for teenage mothers truly addressing the root problem, or is it merely managing the tragic consequences? This policy risks inadvertently creating a safety net that could be misinterpreted as societal acceptance or even an implicit encouragement of teen pregnancy. By focusing resources on maternity care for children, we risk diverting attention and funding from the most critical need: the absolute protection of minors from sexual exploitation and the enforcement of laws that punish perpetrators. The greater, more transformative benefit for our young girls lies not in subsidizing their early motherhood, but in fiercely safeguarding their childhoods and relentlessly investing in their education. A focus on free maternal benefits, in this context, may unintentionally signal that society has accepted the violation of a girl’s right to childhood. This policy is untimely because it prioritizes the consequences over the prevention. Who should shoulder the responsibility? The protection of minors is a shared responsibility of the State, community leaders, families, and the justice system. The current thinking, which seems to applaud a tragic outcome with a free service, must be urgently revisited. We must shift the focus and the resources to: -Zero-tolerance for perpetrators: Ensuring swift and harsh punishment for those who sexually exploit minors. -Universal Education: Making quality education, not motherhood, the non-negotiable path for every girl. -Robust Safeguarding: Implementing and funding comprehensive child protection and sexual reproductive health education programs that empower girls to stay safe and in school. Until we prioritize protecting our children's future through education and justice, policies that manage the tragedy of teen pregnancy will feel like a disheartening surrender to a major breach of child protection in Kenya. #Childprotection #childcare #teenagepregnancies #Safeguarding

I recently came across a U.S. Census Bureau working paper that truly resonated with me. It introduces a child care-inclusive poverty measure (CCIPM), recognizing childcare as a basic necessity rather than just a work-related expense or luxury. The research shows what so many parents already know: • Child care now consumes 9–16% of median family income per child in full-time care, costs that have tripled since 1990. • In places like NYC, these expenses can be even higher, pushing more families toward economic instability. • When child care is treated as a necessity, poverty rates for families with children under 13 rise significantly. As both a mother and the Executive Director of Hope Ignites New York this hits close to home. I know the stress of trying to secure safe, affordable childcare while raising a family in New York City. And I also see every day how transformative it is when that burden is lifted. At Hope Ignites New York our mission is to ensure families know their children have a safe, supportive place to go after school. By doing so, we’re not just serving kids, we’re strengthening families and communities. Child care isn’t optional. It’s foundational. And I’m encouraged to see research, and hopefully policy, catching up with what parents have long understood. If you’re interested in reading more about this research I’ve attached it here. #ChildCare #PovertyReduction #WorkingFamilies #EconomicJustice #Equity #NYC #AfterSchoolPrograms #CommunityImpact #NonprofitLeadership #HopeIgnitesNY

Important report coming at an important time - Listen to the people! Quality, affordable childcare is an essential service. A new report released by YWCA Canada and YMCA Canada highlights survey findings conducted by the The Environics Institute for Survey Research which asserted that of over 4,000 Canadian adults surveyed across the country, Canadians believe childcare is: ✔️essential infrastructure enabling women to re-enter/sustain in the workforce; ✔️critical for providing early learning opportunities and school readiness for young children; and ✔️a necessary part of government spending - rather than tax cuts, budgetary allocations for affordable childcare should be maintained

Change begins when mothers say: ENOUGH! Through our partnership with Swabhimaan, a charitable trust that serves underprivileged communities in Bangalore, we step into the heart of communities and listen to mothers. Too often, what we hear is painful — birth experiences marred by disrespect, neglect, and even abuse. These voices remind us of the stark reality: compassion and dignity in maternity care are still denied to many.  But listening is only the beginning. Through our partnership with Swabhimaan, we have collaborated with the community on the below activities: 1) Engaged with the Swabhimaan health care workers, who are also from the community, in conversations on Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) through in-person workshops, with the objective of strengthening the support system that mothers can turn to. 2) With the help of community members and students from Bangalore Steiner School, we conducted feedback surveys over several weeks, capturing mothers’ birth experiences to understand how we can strengthen our programmes to support such mothers better. 3) We will be conducting childbirth preparation classes, in the community, every Saturday, empowering mothers with knowledge, confidence and ability to make informed choices for their birth. These weekly visits are more than just interactions — they are an ongoing journey of awareness and empowerment. Each week builds on the last, enabling women and families to recognise their rights, understand the care they deserve, and find the courage to demand it. By sparking this awareness, we are doing more than documenting stories — we are building demand from the ground up. When mothers know and ask for the care they deserve, it creates a ripple effect of accountability, pressing institutions and health systems to respond, to transform, and to finally deliver care that upholds respect, dignity, and compassion. Change begins when mothers’ voices are heard, their rights are recognised, and their demands become impossible to ignore. #Swabhimaan #CommunityHealth #MaternalRights #WomensEmpowerment #MaternalHealthAwareness #SafeMotherhood #GrassrootsHealth #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy #RespectfulCare #MaternalSupport #PublicHealth #HealthEducation #EmpoweringWomen #CommunityEngagement #HealthcareForAll #SocialImpact #MaternalWellbeing #Dignity #AastrikaFoundation

At FAFICA, we are proud to stand behind the Global Charter for Children Without Parental Care — a groundbreaking framework that redefines how the world must protect and nurture its most vulnerable children. For too long, children without parental care have been placed in large-scale institutions, far removed from the love, identity, and security that only families can provide. The Global Charter offers a different path — one built on dignity, rights, and family-first solutions. The Charter challenges us to: • Prioritise families over facilities — keeping children connected to their roots, culture, and kinship networks. • Reunify children with their families whenever safe and possible, ensuring separation is the last resort, not the default. • Embed lived experience voices into reform, recognising the wisdom of those who grew up in alternative care. • Strengthen communities and child protection systems with sustainable, transparent, and accountable practices. • Mobilise resources to create resilient family-based care systems across Africa and beyond. This is more than a document — it is a vision of a future where no child grows up alone. It is a collective promise to honour children’s rights and build care systems that reflect Africa’s values of interdependence, kinship, and community. As FAFICA, we call on governments, policymakers, NGOs, donors, and communities to endorse and act on this Charter. Together, we can transform child care systems so that every child has the chance to grow up safe, supported, and surrounded by the love of family. Click the link to read more about the Global Charter here: https://lnkd.in/eX9CcYWj #GlobalCharter #CareReform #FamilyFirst #ChildrenBelongInFamilies #FAFICA #AfricanSolutions #CareWithDignity #PolicyForChildren #TogetherForChange