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Ankie Vandekerckhove

Ankie is currently involved in a project in Brussels to realize the social function in ECEC. In this project some 80 childcare centres get support to lower thresholds for vulnerable families (due to poverty, migration, problematic family situation...) and to adapt their working methods to the context of increasing diversity in the city.

The future of the sponsorship program is thus secured in light of the DIA's board's decision on a controlled winding down of its activities.

After thorough discussions, it has been decided to transfer the sponsorship activities to Terre des Hommes .  The transfer is expected to be completed during July 2024.

Terre des Hommes, a voluntary humanitarian association approved by the Collection Board under the Ministry of Justice, will continue the activities for the benefit of vulnerable children and families.

All sponsors will be contacted directly by Terre des Hommes, who will inform about the practical conditions and the future communication between sponsor, projects and sponsors. Terre des Hommes welcomes all sponsors and looks forward to presenting their activities and membership offers. Additional information will be shared in early July.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or Terre des Hommes.

Not knowing where your child is. For Yoo-hee (69), this has been the nightmare she has been living in for almost forty years. In 1987, she gave birth to a cloud of a baby in South Korea, but before she could hold it once, her son was taken away. “Against my will,” the mother testifies. An adoption service brought him to Belgium and since then there has been no trace. The Korean woman tells her story for the first time. Desperate, she begs: “I want to be able to hug my son just once before I die.”

Jeroen Bossaert 27-06-24, 06:00

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Paralakhemundi : An incredible inspiration for those childless parents who deserve foster care by adopting those vulnerable children of Gajapati.This indeed a landmark perhaps care & protection of those children a great grip for their rising.Again by DCPU(District Child Protection Unit)handed over their 55th adoption care.Jharkhand couple showed interest for adoption.
That girl child who had no claim of parents had been restored & rehabilitated at Utkal Balashram for all care & management.Later under central child adoption portal that girl details uploaded to acknowledge those childless parents.So by seeing such information Jharkhand couple applied for adoption. That girl’s age is 14.After proper verification of that couple district administration conveyed their signal for adoption. The couple looked happy while received that child.
On this occasion Collector Smrutiranjan Pradhan,ADM(Revenue) Birendra Kumar Das, DCPO Arun Kumar Tripathi,Dr.Milan Kumar Adhikari,Nisaan Salem institution care taker Pratyush Kumar Surya, Chairman of CWC Aswini Kumar Mahapatra & members of DCPU were present.

Police have busted a child trafficking racket, and rescued six babies (aged between 11 months to 2.5 years) in Karnataka's Tumakuru district. Four people, including an owner of a private hospital and three nurses who allegedly sold babies to childless couples have been arrested.

The accused have been identified as Mahesh, a nurse at a government hospital in Kunigal, and Mehboob Shariff (owner of a private hospital). Two female nurses, Sowjanya and Poornima, who were the delivery nurses involved in the case.

Mahesh and Mehboob Shariff used to secure babies from parents who didn't want the child and sold the baby to other couples for Rs 2–3 lakh by illegal adoption procedure.

These babies were mostly born out of extra marital affairs or pre-marital affairs and hence, their biological parents didn't want to keep the babies.

MODUS OPERANDI

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - Reality TV star Paris Hilton called for greater federal oversight of youth care programs at a U.S. House of Representatives committee hearing on Wednesday as she described her traumatic experience in youth care facilities.

Hilton, 43, the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, has spoken publicly about the emotional and physical abuse she endured when she was placed in residential youth treatment facilities as a teen.

In remarks to the committee on Wednesday, she described being taken from her bed in the middle of the night at age 16 and transported across state lines to a residential facility where she experienced physical and sexual abuse.

"This $23 billion industry sees this population (of vulnerable children) as dollar signs and operates without meaningful oversight," she said.

"There's no education in these places, there's mold and blood on the walls," she added in response to lawmaker questions. "It's horrifying what these places are like. They're worse than some dog kennels."

Investigating the theft of a 11-month-old boy, the Tumakuru police unearthed an infant trafficking racket and arrested a gang of five, including three nurses, allegedly involved in selling newborn babies to prospective clients. The gang reportedly has been active for the past two years and sold nine toddlers, said the police.

The accused on June 9 sneaked into a house and stole the 11-month-old boy, Raki, while the family was asleep in another room, near Channabasaveshwara temple, Tumakuru city, according to the police.

District Superintendent of Police K.V. Ashok formed a special team which tracked down Ramakrishna and his associate Hanumantharaju, who were working as daily-wage labourers. Based on their information, the police arrested Mubarak, a tamarind dealer from Belluru Cross, and rescued Raki.

According to the police, Mubarak had three daughters and wanted a son. He approached the accused through Mahesh, a manager of a private hospital, and allegedly offered ₹1.7 lakh. Mahesh, in turn, engaged Ramakrishna and Hanumantharaju and allegedly gave them ₹30,000 each after they handed over Raki.

The police arrested Mahesh and two other staff nurses, working in private hospitals, identified as Soujanya and Poornima, for allegedly being part of the racket. During questioning, the accused reportedly confessed to have operated for the last two years and to have sold nine babies to different couples.

The indictment alleges that the children were forced to work on the couple's farmland because of their race and treated as slaves.

A wealthy white couple in West Virginia has been charged with human trafficking, forced labour and child neglect. The couple, Donald Ray Lantz (63) and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather (62), allegedly subjected their five adopted black children to forced labour and confinement, WNews reported.

The children, aged 6-16, were found living in deplorable conditions. Two teens were locked in a filthy shed without basic amenities, while another child was in a loft in the main house.

The indictment alleges the children were forced to work on the couple's farmland because of their race and treated as slaves. The couple allegedly also prohibited them from entering the main house, reported the outlet.

The couple faces multiple charges, including human trafficking, forced labour involving minors, and child neglect, creating a substantial risk of severe injury or death. They pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday, WCHSTV reported.

The investigation began after a neighbour reported concerns about the well-being of children.

Police found two teenagers, a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, locked in a shed on the couple's property. The shed had no lights, running water, or mattresses, only an RV porta-potty. The teens told police they were forced to sleep on the concrete floor and were last fed 12 hours prior.

The boy had open sores on his bare feet, and both children wore dirty clothes and smelled of body odour. A 9-year-old girl was found inside the residence, while an 11-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl were brought to the property later by the couple.

Kanawha County Circuit Judge Maryclaire Akers described the indictment as “one of the worst" she has ever seen, citing allegations of human trafficking and racial targeting. “It alleges human trafficking, human rights violations, the use of forced labour,” Judge Akers said, as per the NY Post. “These children were targeted because of their race, and they were used basically as slaves from what the indictment alleges.” 

Judge Akers increased the couple's bond from $200,000 to $500,000 each, citing the severe nature of the human trafficking and child neglect charges. She stated that the initial bond was insufficient due to the risk of bodily harm or death involved. The case will go to trial on September 9.

Council OKs legal adoption process to curb illegal baby trade

Council OKs legal adoption process to curb illegal baby trade© Provided by Cebu Daily News

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebuano parents who plan to adopt babies here can now engage in the adoption process legally.

A resolution regarding the proper process of child adoption has been approved and will be distributed to birthing homes and hospitals. This decision was made during the council’s regular session on Wednesday, June 26

The number of children and young people who found a place in a foster family rose to 11,169 last year. Foster children can also count on the support of their foster family for increasingly longer. In long-term foster care situations, children remain in a foster family for an average of more than 7 years. This was reported by Opgroeien today.

“A total of 11,169 children in a difficult home situation and adults with a disability stayed in a foster family last year, an increase of 5.3 percent. In three out of four new foster care situations, children end up in a family they already knew. One in four children is matched for a short or long period, or occasionally a weekend, with a foster family they do not yet have a bond with,” says Niels Heselmans, spokesperson for Opgroeien.

In 79 percent of foster care situations, it concerns a long-term form of foster care. “In theory, children or young people then remain living in their foster family for at least a year. But the figures show us that this period is often much longer. On average, a foster child who is entrusted to a foster family for a longer period of time, remains with that family for more than 7 years. For many children and young people, this of course means that they spend a large part of their youth in a foster family. This stability is incredibly important when children come from a difficult situation,” according to the spokesperson.

“Care tailored to the child”

In addition to the long duration, it is also noticeable that many foster families switch between different forms of foster care. “In this way, we provide care tailored to each child,” says Jeroen Vandenbussche, coordinator of Foster Care Flanders. “For example, when children return to their parents after a few years, foster families continue to be of significance as weekend foster families. In this way, foster children do not have to immediately cut the bond with their foster parents and parents can also count on support in raising their children.”