‘There is a “new normal” emerging for childhood to which social work practice must adapt.’ – writes Caroline Housman, CEO of Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) in her article. According to Housman, the number of children on the move has been higher lately than at any time since the Second World War. Besides, there has been a growth in the number of children born into multinational families, in line with which, the number of children separated from their families across international borders has also risen.
International child protection involves unique laws, state bureaucracy, culture and language, which delays actions and dealing with issues. According to research carried out in 2018 by CFAB, it took an average of 45 days for a child protection alert to be issued across international borders when a child at risk had travelled abroad. They also found issues amongst professionals concerning their comprehension of effective international safeguarding of children, which led them to train workers to keep up with changes in international social work. This should benefit people from all walks of life, giving them the capacity to lower and diminish new risks on their own. This international approach will become even more paramount in the protection of EU and non-EU children as the UK prepares to exit the EU.
Many children who end up living abroad are placed with their extended family, in which case, the placement is a success. CFAB found that an international placement works well with:
- Different professional networks
- Adapted assessment approaches
- Higher initial spending outlays
They also found that unsuccessful placement stories are often the result of the inability of carers to cope with the children’s issues. Therefore, CFAB started an awareness campaign called ‘Out of Sight on Our Mind’, which focuses on post-placement duties.
With the right support, guidance, and detailed comprehension of a child’s family networks, international placement should mean a brighter future for children.