SOS Children’s Villages USA statement on Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform 

That’s why we’re proud to endorse the Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform—a worldwide commitment by governments, organizations and child advocates to end institutional care and strengthen families so every child grows up in the nurturing environment they need to thrive. 

Beyond institutional care: Building systems that strengthen families 

After more than 75 years partnering with families, communities and governments, we know that children’s care reform demands deeper interventions beyond simply closing orphanages.  

True reform calls for investing in strong, resilient families, creating effective child protection systems, and preventing unnecessary family separation.  

Globally, eight in 10 children in alternative care have at least one living parent.  

This stark reality reveals a heartbreaking truth: millions of children are not separated from their families because of abuse or neglect. 

These children and families are unnecessarily separated due to external factors, like:  

— Poverty and economic instability 

— Armed conflict, displacement, natural disasters, climate change or other humanitarian crises 

— Social stigma 

— Illness or lack of health care access 

Parenting is challenging even in the best of times. Under conditions of war, extreme poverty or health crises, it can become overwhelming or feel impossible. 

Investing in families: Prevention as the first line of defense 

That’s why SOS Children’s Villages invests in family strengthening programs—parenting support, women’s economic empowerment, mental-health services, counseling and access to essentials like nutrition, health care and education—to help families stay together and thrive. 

Our comprehensive, prevention-focused interventions help families stay together, stopping unnecessary family separation and ensuring children grow up in the comforting embrace of a loving family. 

Protecting children from institutional care 

With more than 75 years of experience in caring for children, we know that children need personalized attention, emotional support and trusting bonds with nurturing adults in order to reach their full potential and thrive. 

But in institutional care, such as traditional orphanages, where child-to-caregiver ratios can be as high as 31:1, children are deprived of the one-on-one emotional connection and guidance they need to mature successfully. 

Learn more why institutional care isn’t the answer—and what works instead. 

So, when separation cannot be avoided, we work with government partners to protect children from entering institutional care, expanding family-based care options, like:  

— Kinship care with extended family members 

— Foster care in family-like environments 

— Trauma-informed care in small, family-style settings  

With all alternatives, we strive to keep siblings together and maintain children’s ties to their communities. 

Yet we know that many foster systems worldwide remain under-resourced, lacking trained social workers and the safeguarding mechanisms to ensure children’s safety and well-being. Therefore, effective reform requires careful planning, strong investment and steady implementation.  

Mental-health and trauma-informed care must be embedded at every stage, ensuring stability and nurturing relationships for every child, and institutions cannot be dismantled overnight without risking new vulnerabilities for children. 

Centering children’s voices in care reform 

In care reform, the voices of children and care-experienced young people and caregivers are not optional—they are essential.  

At SOS, we believe that young people are not silent participants. They are powerful leaders and catalysts for systemic change.  

We are uniquely positioned to elevate their voices to the forefront of discussions and guide reform through the wisdom of their lived experiences.  

Without recognizing these lived realities, care reform is unlikely to succeed. 

Moving forward: Our care reform partnership 

As the care reform partner of governments across every continent, SOS embraces both the promise and responsibility of this moment. 

We’re committed to:  

— Contributing our 75+ years of research, experience and on-the-ground expertise 

— Continuing to help countries and communities design solutions rooted in local realities and children’s rights 

— Prioritizing strategic decisions that protect children’s well-being over speed in implementation 

We are devoted to working with humility, optimism and rigorous care to create systems that protect families, prevent unnecessary separation and give every child the love and stability they deserve.  

Support this work