Lots of links from FosterClub.org - the USA's national network for young people in foster care. 3 great web sites for children / teens and young adults / supportive adults.
http://www.fosterclub.com/grownups/

FICE-International (Fédération Internationale des Communautés Educatives/International Federation of Educative Communities)

Better Future for Children – Today
- 60 years of International Cooperation for Children in Care

Final programme now available! Click in and register for the congress.
Deadline for registrations May 15th.
The organizers welcome you warmly to share your expertise and experiences in the field of residential care, to meet your peers and colleagues from all over the world and to learn more about different practices and methods available in the field. The main themes are:

1. Protecting the World’s Children
2. Child, Family and Close Relations
3. Child's Experiences, Right to Participate and to be Heard, Quality of Care

http://www.ifca.ie/ifco2009/

On May 1 the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities enters into force and will become legally binding on all States. In relation to children with disabilities in out-of-home care please see Article 23 "Respect for Home and Family"
Useful UN web site - updated regularly: http://www.un.org/disabilities/

The organisation "International Social Service" will produce a special series of articles on the draft UN Guidelines. IFCO adult and youth members had a big hand in creating these guidelines through their membership of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child NGO Group.
Click here to read the first in the ISS series in English, French & Spanish: http://www.crin.org/docs/Special%20Series%20ISS.pdf

The United Nations General Assembly encourages the ongoing process of elaboration of UN Guidelines for the Appropriate Use and Conditions of Alternative Care for Children.

ISS/IRC reports that on 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a Resolution on the rights of the child, by a vote of 183 to 1 (United States).Paragraph 16 of the document encourages States to adopt and enforce laws and improve the implementation of policies and programmes to protect children growing up without parents or caregivers. The UNGA also recognises that, where alternative care is necessary, family and community-based care should be promoted. In this context, it welcomes the ongoing process aimed at elaborating a set of UN guidelines for the appropriate use and conditions of alternative care for children ( IFCO adult & youth members have been active members of this NGO Group for the CRC working group since its inception). The Government of Brazil now leads on this project, and its final adoption is expected at UNGA’s session, which will be held in 2008.

Click here to see the full United Nations General Assembly resolution: (http://www.crin.org/docs/FileManager/un_ga_res_2007.pdf).

The IFCO Latin American Foster Care Network (Relaf) is expanding its work in the region. For this, we are seeking applications of interest from people for the new additional part-time position of Project Leader (residing in Argentina) for the project that we are developing and which is starting on April 1st 2008.
For more details please click here and/or visit http://relaf.ifco.info

This was a very successful event with over 400 delegates attending from 41 countries. The Fostering Team in Malta has put together a colourful e-newsletter to give you a flavour of IFCO2007MALTA.
You may also click here to read the full Abstract Book of the speakers and workshop presenters. There are professionally-made DVDs of many of the plenary speakers in Malta for sale - please contact the IFCO office for more details.

President George Bush signed the instrument of ratification for the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption on Nov. 16, completing the final procedural step for the United States to join over 70 other countries as a full member of the Convention. The instrument will be deposited with designated authorities in the Netherlands on Dec. 12 and is expected to enter into force in this country on April 1, 2008.

The Hague Convention is intended to protect children and families involved in intercountry adoptions and prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. Once the treaty is in force, the U.S. Department of State, as the Central Authority, will be responsible for ensuring all Convention requirements are followed, including the accreditation of U.S. adoption service providers and the tracking of children both entering and leaving the country for adoption. In 2006, 20,679 orphan visas were issued to children entering the U.S. for adoption.

Read the State Department press release; read the notice.

Statement & new administrative arrangements - click here