a better future is possible

Promoting family life for all children out of parental care including children with disabilities.

2 key issues observed

ISS has a long-standing experience visiting Residential Care Institutions and orphanages in over 20 countries, and two key issues were regularly observed:

There are very few actual “orphans” residing in orphanages. Most children in residential care still have at least one living parent. For example, in Haiti, 80% of children still have a family, and in Vietnam, 60% of children with disabilities still have family links.
Children with disabilities are among the last to benefit from programs enabling them to leave institutions and are more likely to be left behind in orphanages. UNICEF also agrees with this observation in ‘The State of the World’s Children 2013’ report.

Devastating impact

Research also indicates that residential care can have a devastating impact on a child brain development leading to life-long negative implications. Even well-intentioned and well-managed institutions can never replace the love, support and stability that children need to form secure attachments that are critical for their overall development.

All children have the right to grow up in a family setting

ISS is convinced that numerous children, including children with disabilities, cared for in institutions could also get a chance to live in a family environment by combining efforts from professionals and officials at different levels and targeted training.

What is the solution?

Support care reform & disability-inclusive deinstitutionalisation

Improve case management

Improve social work for children placed in institutions

Technical guidance

Provide technical guidance on family care procedures

Build capacity

Build capacity of the social workforce on intervention tools

Offer support

Support children and families in their community

Program summary: A Better Future is Possible

Multilevel action

ISS global program “A better future is possible” is designed to promote safe, nurturing family care for children out of parental care with a specific focus on children with disabilities (CWD). This includes supporting national care reforms for children in particular efforts towards family reunification, alternative family-based care, and influencing main stakeholders toward family care.

Strengthen Caregivers

The program strengthens the staff’s capacity to learn and implement social work activities as well as to improve daily care, nutrition, and feeding practices through our partnership with SPOON to meet children’s immediate needs.

Support families & Communities

Families and communities need to be supported and empowered so that they can provide the optimal level of care for their children.

Once you have built a care system for children with disabilities, you have built a system for all children.

Current implementation

A better future is possible is currently being implemented in Haiti, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

Across these partner countries, ISS collaborates with implementing partners, members of the ISS global network, to support children and families through a combination of direct support to families, capacity building of professionals, and system strengthening. These partners include Rapha International in Haiti, NGO Vie Saine in Côte d’Ivoire, ISS West Africa in Burkina Faso, Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD) in Vietnam and SERVE in Sri Lanka. In 2025, ISS West Africa and ISS France (Droit d’Enfance) were involved as technical partners of this global program.

Achievements

Since 2014, we are piloting ground-breaking projects that are designed to be sustainable and standardised by national decisions makers and practitioners

Partnerships

We partner with child welfare authorities and civil society organisations to ensure the continuity of the project, and with international partners to share their expertise.

Tools

We develop and promote tools to help local professionals and governments to better identify and take into account the needs of all the children without parental care, and especially the needs of children with disabilities.

Advocacy

We encourage governments to develop inclusive family care options to include children with disabilities in care reform.

Family

We promote the return of children growing up in residential care back to their family whenever possible and if in the best interest of the child.

Foster care

We develop foster care programs adapted for children with disabilities and helpful for all children.

Support services

We reflect on how to strengthen family support services in local communities and improve collaboration between main stakeholders.

Partnerships

We partnered with child welfare authorities and civil society organisations to ensure the continuity of the project and with international partners to share their expertise.

Tools

We ideated and promoted tools to help local professionals and governments to better identify and take into account the needs of all the children without parental care and especially the needs of children with disabilities.

Gov. advocacy

We encouraged the governments to develop inclusive family care options to include children with disabilities in care reform.

Family

We promoted the return of children growing up in residential care back to their family whenever possible and if in the best interest of the child.

Foster care

We developed foster care programs adapted for children with disabilities and helpful for all children.

Support services

We reflect on how to strengthen family support services (essential and specialised) in their communities and improve collaboration between main stakeholders.