Community-based foster homes in Ethiopia : an account of a follow-up experience ten years after phase out

The study in this report arises from the context of famine and war, and is Save the Children Norway’s contribution. It presents an overview of the context and background of the community-based foster homes project in Ethiopia and describes in details its development and implementation. It then presents the findings and lessons learnt from the follow-up of children placed in community-based foster homes in 2001. These include, among others, include: the necessity for long-term protection and follow-up; the importance of recognising that children relate to persons, not organisations; the importance of foster mothers’ relationships with the community; the importance of strong networks among children and children’s active participation; systematic monitoring. Lessons learnt and insights can be useful to those working with orphans and children without parental care. Lessons learnt can also be applied to the context of HIV and AIDS