CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACROSS BORDERS (CFAB)
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Mission Statement
In an increasingly globalised world, more children are finding themselves separated from their families across international borders. This includes children whose parents have died and have relatives overseas, children who have been trafficked or exploited and children who are travelling as unaccompanied refugees. Whatever their situation, for some of these children the best outcome is to be cared for by a relative in another country. Children and Families Across Borders exists to identify and protect these children and whenever possible reunite them with their families. Formed to help with the refugee crisis in the aftermath of the Second World War, we have over 60 years’ experience in international child protection and in the last five years alone we have helped protect over 10,000 children. International child protection can be intimidating and confusing, resulting in too many children remaining in care in the UK or stranded abroad. This is why CFAB is needed more than ever.
About This Cause
CFAB is the only UK member of the International Social Service Network, an international NGO founded in 1924 and a network of national entities in over 130 countries that assist children and families confronted with complex social problems as a result of migration. This gives us unrivalled access to expert, on-the-ground support across the world and allows us to assess whether a child’s return to their home country is realistic and in their best interests. This is more effective and cost-efficient than sending social workers from the UK to make family assessments on foreign soil. Importantly, it also means we can reunite children with their families quicker, rather than keeping them in care. Our core services are: • Advice and Support: we advise social workers and other frontline workers on inter-country child protection issues through a national advice line. • Casework and consultancy: we take on individual cases to ensure children’s safety, including issuing child protection alerts, carrying out record checks, undertaking welfare visits and carrying out full kinship assessments. • Training and capacity building: we deliver training to help social workers and other frontline workers better manage the inter-country aspects of their work. • Research and advocacy: we carry out research on key inter-country child protection issues to inform decision makers and ensure that the voice of unaccompanied children is heard. Some of the children that CFAB has helped are: • 'Esther', who was 16 years old and living in Nigeria when she was sent by her parents to live with her cousins to study in the UK. Instead, Esther was forced into domestic slavery and eventually onto the streets. Working with local agencies and our partner in Nigeria, we ensured that it was safe for Esther to return home and be reunited with her family. • 'Nico', who was 14 when he was trafficked from Romania into the UK. Forced into prostitution in both countries, he managed to escape and was picked up by the police. All Nico wanted was to go home and be with his family who he had not seen for over a year. He had no phone number for his mother and only a scant idea of her address. We contacted our partners in Romania who managed to track her down. They conducted a family assessment and Nico was reunited with his mother and family. • 'Sarah' and 'Jason', who were 5 and 3 years old when they were taken into care as a result of their mother’s drug addiction. Sarah’s behaviour was also a concern, which social workers believe was caused by the violence she had witnessed when living with her mother. With CFAB’s help the children were placed with their grandmother in Australia, Sarah’s behaviour was markedly improved and they both now enjoy a settled family life. • 'Matthew', who was taken into care due to his mother’s drug and alcohol misuse and mental health problems. At risk of being placed into long-term foster care, CFAB explored and recommended that Matthew live with his aunt and uncle in Australia and advised on local support services to help him adjust to his new life. As a result he now lives with his wider family and is able to maintain contact with his mother in the UK.