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The adoption of Ukrainian children, by US citizens, is examined as the Ukrainian government ceases adoptions of children during the chaos of war. Intercountry adoption dynamics are presented with data from 2021, prior to the conflict in 2022. Then, the situation regarding child rights and the official Ukrainian government position are considered. Implications for guardianship and foster care of unaccompanied refugee minors are presented along with other critical risks to Ukrainian children living in another country. Implications for social work practice are concluded and child rights advocacy is encouraged as a macro intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), a seminal instrument in protecting the rights of children. Uniquely, this convention was the only one to receive near universal ratification, with African countries comprising half of the first 20 to sign the convention. Ghana was first among these countries to ratify the convention. This set off a bandwagon effect of other African countries quickly ratifying the convention. However, a year later, African governments reacted to their low involvement in the drafting process of the UNCRC and also to what they thought to be an inadequate representation of the real experience of the African child in the UNCRC. Consequently, this group adopted their own version of the convention -- the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). However, unlike the experience with the UNCRC, African nations were not quick to ratify their own Charter; the ACRWC is hardly discussed in public and policy forums in Africa, and its use among those charged with the protection of children is minimal. Using the lenses of policy diffusion, I assess the influence of coercion and emulation mechanisms on privileging the UNCRC which is used as the main organizing framework for child rights in most African countries. Additionally, I look at how Ghana's political reputation influenced other African adopters, an effect which was not replicated with the ratification of the ACRWC. Implications for social work research, policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the social work implications in programmes and initiatives that address the rights of children in Kenya. The analysis is drawn from three case studies of organizations that promote child rights in Kenya, namely Compassion International (Kenya), Chosen Children of Promise (CCP) and Equity Group Foundation of the Equity Bank. These agencies are making notable efforts to identify needy children and assist them to access education in appropriate institutions through the provision of scholarships and other forms of assistance. The research notes the lack of clear government policy for gifted and talented children’s education and the positive role that social workers could play in the promotion of child rights in Kenya. This article makes a contribution to the awareness of policies for gifted and talented children in Kenya. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Armed conflict and war violate children’s rights. In northern Uganda, thousands of children have been forcefully abducted and recruited by an armed opposition group. Despite relative peace and stability since 2006, children suffer from the destruction of the social, economic, and educational infrastructure, and lack of protection of their fundamental rights. This article provides an overview of international legal frameworks pertaining to children in war and discusses the role of social work in the overall rehabilitation process in northern Uganda. Children’s rights are introduced as guiding principles and a key reference point for programming and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Witchcraft stigmatization is increasingly identified as a growing human rights concern. The stigmatization of children as witches and resultant child rights abuse is particularly prevalent in Nigeria, and has been recognized as a major barrier to the effective implementation of child rights in this state. Witchcraft-related abuse entails significant violations of a range of children’s rights, and is yet to receive adequate or effective policy responses from government. Whilst Civil Society Organizations have attempted to address this issue, significant practical and conceptual challenges to their work remain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disasters around the world disrupt the lives of millions of people, especially pushing many children into armed conflict, prostitution, drug trafficking and other dangerous situations, resulting in violation of their rights. Approaches to disaster management continue to be largely technology-centred, top-down and isolated from human development processes in the region. The rescue–relief–rehabilitation (3R) model of interventions largely results in treating children as beneficiaries and not as actors. This article offers possible lessons for Africa, based on the South Asian experience of how children’s rights are (not) practised in the context of disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]