Promoting children’s rights to nutrition and family care
Every child has the right to good health and to grow up in family care, and these rights are affirmed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. SPOON works to fulfill these rights, and we recently submitted two statements to an upcoming UN event on children’s rights and alternative care.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child is holding a Day of General Discussion (DGD) focused on ‘children’s rights and alternative care’, including ways to protect the rights of children in alternative care, prevent family separation, and end institutionalization of children. SPOON’s statements to the Committee advocate for a greater focus on nutrition and disability inclusion at the DGD and in all efforts to fulfill children’s rights.
Advocating for nutrition in care reform
Children in alternative care are more likely to be malnourished and face inter-related risks from malnutrition and the long-term stress of family separation. These risks are only increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. SPOON’s statement focuses on the need to meet children’s nutrition and feeding needs as part of a high-quality alternative care ecosystem that helps families stay together, ensures children have their basic needs met while outside of family care, and facilitates children returning to their families.
Prioritizing nutrition in family support, family reunification efforts, and alternative care will help fulfill children’s rights to health and help protect their long-term development. It is also a vital part of ending institutionalization and providing family care for every child.
Promoting an ecosystem of support for children with disabilities
Children with disabilities are at highest risk of being separated from their families and face some of the most severe consequences of institutionalization. Accessible, inclusive community-based services for children with disabilities and their families will be critical to break this pattern and uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
Together with partners from Keystone Human Services, International Social Service, ShonaQuip Social Enterprise, and United Aid for Azerbaijan, SPOON submitted a statement calling for a supportive ecosystem for children with disabilities and their families. Our statement recommends that the Committee prioritize creating services to help children grow up in families, advocating for inclusive care reform, ensuring that alternative care policies and strategies uphold the rights of children with disabilities, and creating a standardized foundational course on family care for children with disabilities for service providers.
Learn more
The Day of General Discussion starts on September 16th. You can learn more about the Day and the Convention on the Rights of the Child here. To help advocate for nutrition and disability inclusion, please read our statements here and here, and share them with your networks or on social media.
