Childcare and child protection experts from SOS Children’s Villages in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America gathered in Rwanda from December 17 to 19 for a workshop on childcare reform. Speaking at the opening, Mireille Batamuliza, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, noted that hosting the event in Rwanda provides a platform for sharing experiences, learning from global best practices, and strengthening partnerships that can accelerate progress in childcare reform. “The exchanges over these three days will help develop more effective, rights-based, and family-centered solutions for children worldwide,” Batamuliza said. She added that Rwanda’s partnership with SOS Children’s Villages supports reintegrating children and young people from institutions into their families. “With care institutions closing, children are now growing up in families rather than institutions. This proves that a family is the best environment for a child to grow and thrive,” she added. Lanna Idriss, Chief Executive Officer of SOS Children’s Villages Worldwide in Germany, said the organization is committed to children without parental care and has ended its support for institutional care. “Institutional care is no longer a solution and is not as effective as it appears. The era of such care is over. We now focus on family-based alternatives in the community, including foster and kinship care,” Idriss said She added that SOS Children’s Villages will continue to focus on supporting families, in line with global care reform efforts aimed at keeping children with their families whenever possible. Eyob Berhanu, Regional Program Development Advisor for SOS Children’s Villages International (Eastern and Southern Africa), said the Kigali workshop was designed as a space for learning, reflection, and strategy. The Global Expert Group on Childcare Reform (GEGCCR) has spent nearly three years studying what works in childcare across different countries. Based on their findings, they drafted a policy brief with recommendations for SOS Children’s Villages International and other child protection actors. Berhanu said the workshop aimed to present case studies, validate findings, and develop actionable policy recommendations. He added that Rwanda was chosen for its pioneering role in childcare reform, and the workshop will help refine a policy brief set to guide care reform within SOS Children’s Villages and among partners next year. The expert group plans to develop a care reform roadmap based on Rwanda’s experience to support countries transitioning to deinstitutionalization. Berhanu said the aim is to update policies, adjust program and mobilize communities in support of the agenda. He acknowledged challenges, including funding gaps, limited workforce capacity, resistance from some childcare institutions, restricted foster and kinship care options and underinvestment in family support and prevention services. Berhanu noted SOS Children’s Villages’ global reach, supporting children without adequate parental care in over 130 countries. In Rwanda, the organization provides preventive and alternative care alongside youth services in line with government strategies. “Families can care for their children if they receive support, but quality is essential. Foster, kinship, and biological families often lack capacity and need ongoing assistance. All care models must include trauma-informed and child-safeguarding methods,” he said. Berhanu commended Rwanda’s progress, noting community-led initiatives like Tubarerere Mu Muryango (TMM) and Inshuti z’Umuryango (IZU), which strengthen family-based care and provide lessons for other countries. Jean Bosco Kwizera, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Rwanda, noted that the conference was a milestone for the organization. He said Rwanda’s care reform began in 2012, when the government decided to close childcare institutions after national assessments and recommendations from the Children’s Summit. “The conclusion was that children should grow up in families, and the quality of care needed to improve. SOS Children’s Villages supported this transition and showed that children can be protected and cared for within families rather than institutions,” Kwizera said. He noted that the organization’s mission guides its work, explaining that every child belongs to a family where they are cared for, loved, and respected. He explained that SOS Children’s Villages focuses on individual case management, assessing each child’s family situation, identifying challenges, and finding solutions that allow children to remain safe with their families whenever possible.
