United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s Day of General Discussion on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care

Photo: Fransnel Francois

INTRODUCTION

For over ten years, Little Footprints Big Steps (LFBS) has worked to protect children, support Haitian families, and address the root causes of family separation and poverty. As part of this ongoing work, LFBS participated in the 2021 Day of General Discussion (DGD) held by the United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), drawing attention to the mistreatment of children who have been separated from their families and the factors that contribute to the institutionalization of children in Haiti.

SUMMARY

Every year, the Day of General Discussion provides an opportunity to examine, identify, and discuss threats to children’s rights around the world. It also provides the opportunity to review the implementation and progress of relevant international standards created following the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Rights of the Child.  

The overall objective of the 2021 DGD was to examine broadly the current situation regarding alternative care in its complexity, identify and discuss particular areas of concern with regard to the unnecessary separation of children from their families and appropriate ways to respond to family and child separation in cases where it is unavoidable.  

As part of our continued efforts towards ensuring every child in Haiti grows up in a safe, loving, and self-sustaining family, LFBS submitted several pieces to this year's DGD. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Our submission lists five key recommendations for the UN Treaty Bodies, governments, stakeholders, and donors: 

  1. Increased collaboration, consultation, resource allocation and support of Child Protection Authorities in Haiti, predominantly IBESR (Haitian Social Services) and BPM (the Child Protection Brigade of the Police), with a strong focus on rural areas.

  2. Education and outreach to faith-based donors that demonstrates that the continued proliferation of, and support to, orphanages conflicts with the Government of Haiti’s national plan to reduce reliance on orphanage care, as well as international human rights conventions and standards designed to protect children.

  3. Intervention design that combines temporary emergency spaces for children who have been separated with logistical support and resources for family tracing, mediation, and reunification.

  4. Support for the implementation of Haiti’s foster family system, reinforced with economic and psychosocial support. 

  5. The establishment of an alternative justice system for children in conflict with the law.

These recommendations are meant to assist in the ongoing work in Haiti toward establishing better child welfare systems and addressing the root causes of family separation. For more information, please read LFBS’ submission in full here.

LFBS provided a second submission in French on behalf of our beneficiaries. Their submission details the importance of establishing effective assistance systems for families and children in Haiti, and the struggles families have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To view the submission, click here. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

To learn more about this year’s Day of General Discussion, read the background paper on the emerging themes and perspectives discussed. The child and youth friendly summary of the 2021 Day of General Discussion can be viewed here. Finally, to see some of the results of this year’s DGD, you can read the children and young peoples’ responses to a global survey for the Day of General Discussion 2021 on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care here.