ASSESSING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILD REUNIFICATION PROJECT: THE CASE OF ‘KECHENE’ CHILDREN AND YOUTH REHABITION CENTER, ADDIS ABEBA

Abstract

Unaccompanied children placed under institutional care are likely to encounter a complex web of problems from pre to post phases of reunification. Recent research and practice demonstrate the negative effect of prolonged stay under institution care on social behavior and interaction of children’s with others. However, no research was conducted to analyze child family reunification projects in Ethiopia context. Accordingly, seven children who are reunified from the KCYRC, coordinator of the child care institution, two social workers, and one counselor from the organization were interviewed to provide deep descriptions of organizational structure and function in relation to reunification projects. The data collected via interview, observation and relevant document review was subjected to an interpretative analysis and the findings are generated and systematically interpreted as successive piece of data. Generally, this study found that the reunified children had experienced great difficulties in their reunion with their families, peers and with the society. Most of the reunified children who could not cope with the difficulties might probably return to the institution or the streets. These difficulties had emerged mainly from the prolonged institutional care, long-time separation from their families, and urban way of life. The researcher recommended that the organization should formulate holistic plans, procedures and evaluation strategies to carry out reunification program that can help to trace back situations of reunified children in order to utilize resources wisely & appropriately.