NO CHILD SHOULD
GROW UP ALONE
“I was a child without parents, so I don’t have the same rights as the
other people ... it makes me feel like I am worth less then they are.”
Frigg, age 21, Child Rights Workshop Participant, Norway
SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES
STRATEGY 2030
Statement of the president and the CEO
of SOS Children’s Villages International
Every child has the right to grow up in a caring family.
Children need stable, supportive and caring relationships In almost 70 years of providing alternative child care and
to develop their potential. They need their rights to be supporting families at risk, engaging for their inclusion in
respected and realized to succeed in life. Looking at the society, we have learnt, as the African proverb says, that
world today, too many children are invisible in society ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. That’s why we work to-
and lack the conditions they need to flourish. gether with partners to improve the situation of children,
young people and their families when they live without
SOS Children’s Villages is passionate about child care parental care or are at risk of losing it.
and child development. We want to build inclusive soci-
eties in which the most deprived and disadvantaged chil- The journey towards a better world in 2030 will require
dren have a home. Today, it takes a truly global effort to even stronger partnerships between key stakeholders,
make a real difference in the lives of children and young communities, NGOs, governments, corporates, donors,
people who lack, or are at risk of losing, parental care. community-based as well as international organisations,
and many more. Let’s reach out to each other to find syn-
Our international Strategy 2030, with its central message ergies and develop new forms of cooperation. We warmly
that ‘no child should grow up alone’, is a road map to invite you to join us in creating a global effort on behalf
build and drive change for children. It was developed of children without parental care.
by SOS Children’s Villages member associations in 134
countries and territories in broad consultation with 200 Thank you for supporting this important cause!
young people.
Our strategy commits SOS Children’s Villages to support
the global community in attaining the Sustainable Devel-
opment Goals, which include on its agenda the needs of Siddhartha Kaul Norbert Meder
disadvantaged children. We believe that to reach these President Chief Executive Officer
goals, the world must start with those who have been left
the furthest behind. It is for them to measure whether eq-
uity, social protection and universal dignity for all have
been achieved.
© Sune Kitshoff
@SOS_Advocates
www.sos-childrensvillages.org
SOS Children’s Villages supports disadvantaged families to care for
© Pamuk Abeer
their children, and when children can no longer live with their own
families, we provide quality alternative care. Child development and
child rights have been at the heart of our mission since 1949.
SOS CHILDREN’S The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in Sep-
tember 2015 by the United Nations, envisage a world free of
SOS Children’s Villages has put the most disadvantaged
children at the heart of its Strategy 2030, with the central
A caring and protective family is central to a child’s de-
velopment, as recognised by the UN Convention on the
VILLAGES poverty, violence and inequality, where everyone can fulfil
their potential with dignity. To truly achieve this by 2030,
message: ‘No child should grow up alone’. The strategy
directly relates to the SDGs in key areas such as poverty,
Rights of the Child. Similarly, the Guidelines for the Al-
ternative Care of Children affirm that children with inad-
STRATEGY 2030
children, especially the most disadvantaged, have to be at inequality, education, health, social and child protection, equate or no parental care are at risk of being denied the
the centre of this global agenda. and decent work. support, protection and love to develop fully. The SDGs
will not be achieved if children without parental care con-
tinue to be left behind.
STRATEGIC GOALS THE 7 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES IN DETAIL “We want to be active participants in the
world, that’s my message.”
1 We ensure that many more children have a loving home
and an equal chance to succeed in life, by strengthening OUR TARGET GROUP SI 1 - Innovate alternative child care Migena, age 21, 2030 Youth Coalition
the quality and outreach of our programmes • Further develop a range of community-integrated, gender- Representative, Albania
Children without parental care or at risk of
2 We drive a global care movement, uniting people and losing it who live in extremely disadvantaged sensitive and cost-effective alternative quality care options
partners, so that ‘no child should grow up alone’ circumstances (220 million children worldwide) based on the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of SI 5 - Create a movement
Children
• Invite people and partners to support quality childcare.
• Focus on community-integrated SOS families, quality foster
• Mobilise and train volunteers and empower care
7 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES (SI) care and care options for children in emergency situations
professionals, especially women, to drive societal
to support our target group and reach our goals: • Empower and train care professionals development
Advocate for children • Strengthen our own capacity in advocacy, participation,
Empower young people SI 2 - Strengthen families talent development, monitoring and experience-sharing
• Increase our focus on preventing family separation and • Develop quality alternative care partnerships with
Create a movement promoting quality care for children without parental care governments and other providers
Strengthen families or at risk of losing it
SI 4 • Strengthen partnerships to assure access to high SI 6 - Simplify SOS
SI 3 Simplify SOS
Innovate alternative
quality essential services for these children and their • Create a simpler, agile and digital organisation – including
child care SI 5 families, especially in education, health and economic efficient and collaborative structures and processes,
SI 2 Invest for empowerment strongly integrating technology into programme work
funding growth • Establish preparedness and capacity for emergency
SI 6 response
SI 7 - Invest for funding growth
SI 1 SI 3 - Empower young people • Invest in high-potential and new fundraising channels,
support innovative approaches and enhance co-operation
• Strengthen young people’s participation and prepare them
SI 7 for independent living, with an emphasis on employability
with governments
SI 7 and community integration • Strengthen our relationship with donors
UN SDGs • Train care professionals to strengthen independence of • Diversify and intensify our fundraising towards existing
STRATEGIC (to which our 1 in 10 care leavers and support young people in receiving quality and new markets and partners in order to ensure
INITIATIVES SIs contribute) children sustainability of our services to families and children
live without education
UNEMPLOYMENT parental • Accompany young people on their journey to independence
care1 WEAK SUPPORT
Global youth HIRE ME Lack of adequate social through coaching and mentoring, together with networks SOURCES:
unemployment rate is
expected to reach 13.1%.2
protection systems.9 and partners. Support them in building professional, 1
SOS Children’s Villages International (2016). Child at risk. The target group
entrepreneurial and soft skills to develop their careers of SOS Children’s Villages. This figure is an estimation by SOS Children’s
VIOLENCE INSTITUTIONALISATION Villages, as there is a lack of official national and global data
275 million children are Up to 8 million children 2
The International Labour Organization (ILO), (global figure from 2016)
exposed to domestic
violence.3
living in institutions.8 SI 4 - Advocate for children 3
UNICEF (2006). Behind closed doors. The impact of domestic violence on
children.
NO DOCUMENTS • Expand our advocacy work on all levels to ensure that 4
UNICEF (2016). The State of the World’s Children 2016. A fair chance for
NO EDUCATION 230 million children under
59 million children of
the age of five have never
no country leaves children without parental care behind every child (global figure from 2013).
primary school-age do 5
Global Trends 2015, UNHCR (global figure from 2016)
not go to school.4
been registered.7 • Work with governments and build alliances to improve 6
UNICEF (2016). The State of the World’s Children 2016. A fair chance for
DISPLACEMENT LOSS OF PARENTS policies and social protection systems for children and every child
33.3 million displaced children world- 140 million children worldwide have young people without parental care as well as families 7
UNICEF (2013). Every Child’s Birth Right, Inequities and trends in birth
wide = 51% of the world’s refugees.5 lost one or both parents, of which at registration
least 13 million have lost both.6 at risk 8
Pinheiro, P. (2006). World Report on Violence against Children, UNICEF,
French
• Advocate for the right of all children to quality care and New York
Polynesia
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE 9
SOS Children’s Villages Int. (2013). Protecting the most marginalised
A CHILD TODAY for the full implementation of the Guidelines for the childen and families. SOS Children’s Villages Post-2015 Think Piece
Alternative Care of Children on Social Protection
