On the way to a national roadmap for DI

After the intense and fruitful 2016 RELAF Seminar, the agenda for implementing the right to family and community life to children in Panama continues.

Therefore, RELAF took part in the organisation of the National Conference on deinstitutionalization and the right to family and community life in Panama. The opening was led by Michelle Muschett, Deputy Minister of MIDES Panama, who expressed the commitment of the Panamanian State to childhood deinstitutionalisation (DI) programmes. Ms. Kim, representative of UNICEF Panama, highlighted the day as "historic, and a basis for the fulfillment of the right to family and community life" in the country.

For RELAF, Matilde Luna made the presentation "Regional context of deinstitutionalisation  processes" and headed a forum on the subject of "Adolescent participation". Javier Curcio (RELAF Consultant) presented the methodology "Study on institutionalisation costs vs alternative family care".

Also attending were several directors of Panamanian civil society organisations with which we have been undertaking deinstitutionalisation practices, such as Sister Lourdes Reiss (Director of Casa Hogar Malambo), Fortunato Peirotén (Director of Ciudad del Niño), and Iris Molinar (Director SOS Children’s Villages Colón). In more than a sense, the day was an opportunity to put these pilot tests onto a public policy level, through the construction of a national roadmap for DI.

We’d like to especially highlight the participation of Yomaira, Madeleine and Iris, three young girls newly restored to family life. Thanks to their courageous testimonies at the meeting, they have greatly increased awareness and commitment for these necessary changes.

Regarding the monitoring work performed with the civil society during September and October, 2 workshops were conducted with adolescents living in Ciudad del Niño, Casa Hogar Malambo and SOS Children's Villages Colón. These workshops are part of the actions being carried out as part of a preparation process for the deinstitutionalisation of these adolescents. In total, we worked with 45 adolescents, 15 from each organisation.

Regarding the work we’ve been carrying out with the Panamanian government, on October 19 we conducted a technical roundtable on deinstitutionalisation with the team of SENNIAF Panama, prosecutors, judges, and Children’s Police in Panama City. The table was chaired by Secretary Yasmín Cárdenas and had the attendance of experts Alejandro Morlachetti and Matilde Luna.

Moreover, following the recommendations arising from the systematisation of  the CHS pilot programme, we still pursue the construction of an alternative care subsystem in Santiago de Veraguas. We conducted an open forum between SENNIAF Veraguas, the First Lady’s Office, representatives of the Health System, the Children’s Police and MIDES Veraguas. In this instance, recommendations of the UN on alternative care were discussed, as well as the need to promote the necessary communication between these actors to prevent family separation and the institutionalisation of children.

This roundtable was the first of four planned tables, of which we will be reporting in upcoming newsletters.