Haiti Family Care Network Launch
Rapha International is excited to announce the launch of the Haiti Family Care Network! This new Network is a collaborative effort to support the shift towards family based care in Haiti. Rapha and the Haiti Family Care Network share the vision for all Haitian children and youth to be given the opportunity to thrive in families.
At Rapha we understand that long-term institutional care is detrimental to a child’s social and emotional development, and can put children at great risk for abuse, exploitation, and neglect. In Haiti (as well as globally), the majority of children living in orphanages are not actually orphans but have been placed there by their families in order to have their basic needs met. We believe that every effort should be made to strengthen and support families so that children are not unnecessarily separated from them. The trafficking of children in countries like Haiti usually begins with a child’s separation from their family, so working to keep kids with their families is the heart of trafficking prevention.
As the Haitian government has in recent years declared its commitment to shift away from orphanage care as the primary intervention for vulnerable children, and towards family based care, many organizations working in Haiti have been left confused and concerned about implementation. As a response to the need for accessible resources and better collaboration (both among organizations and between organizations and the Haitian government), the Haiti Family Care Network was born. Rapha is honored to serve on the Leadership Council of the Network and, together with a small team of like-minded organizations, has worked diligently over the past year to develop its organizational structure. The Network will provide resources, tools, education, and the opportunity for collaboration among individuals, organizations, and donors working to serve vulnerable children in Haiti.
We are excited to officially launch the Haiti Family Care Network and continue building on the momentum that has been growing towards family based care. A shift of this magnitude in Haiti will require the contributions of many organizations working in various capacities throughout the country, diverse in their work but united in the desire to see Haitian children protected and families thriving. Please join us in prayer for the impact the Haiti Family Care Network will have for children and families in Haiti!
