Participants:

Participants include, but are not limited to, Local and Regional Governmental and Non-Governmental professionals involved in Child Residential and Foster Care, Local and Regional Governmental en Non-Governmental professionals in the Youth Care and Welfare work field, Local and Regional Foster Care stakeholders (such as therapists, police, judges, legal advisers and the media), Local and Regional Policy Workers.

Objectives:

1. To create awareness, understanding, and empathy for foster care.

2. To discuss the value of foster care in our communities.

3. To provide a forum for foster care professionals and stakeholders in the region, to meet, learn, exchange views, and evaluate foster care practices.

4. To provide opportunities for critical reflection of personal practice and ideology.

5. To impart local and regional workplace ideas and practices supporting foster care.

6. To put foster care on the agenda of the government and policy makers.

7. To advocate for policy and legislative frame work on Foster Care in the Region

8. To promote cooperation and networking between the different institutions operative in the field of relief and guidance of children in the region.

Topics:

• The UN Convention of the Rights of Children: Each Child has the Right to a Family.

• The Bureaucracy of Foster Care: The role of the Government, Child Protection and Foster Care organization.

• Foster Care, the New Constitutional Structure of the Antilles and the Law on Youth Care.

• Foster Care practices/models in the world: best practices.

• Foster Care in the Region: practices and ideologies.

• Status of Child Protection and Foster Care in St. Maarten.

• Foster Care: point of view of the Foster Child, Foster Parent and Foster Carer.

• The legal position of foster parents (rights and obligations).

• Abandoned, neglected, and abused children.

• The added value of mentoring foster children (Mentoring by modem)

• What works to attract, retain, and sustain Foster Carers?

• Cooperation and networking an integrated approach towards foster care.

Product:

At the end of the Conference participants would have contributed to the development of a memorandum of understanding to collective development of foster care in the region, more specific cooperation between regional foster care institutes and the establishment of a regional foster care network.

Program:

As keynotes and presenters are booked and confirmed we will add information thus giving you insight on all conference activities.

Keynote Speakers:

Elisabeth Ingetje Van Sloten – van de Munt, Coordinator of the ‘Better Care Network Netherlands’, consisting of the following organizations: Kinder Postzegel, Cordaid, Unicef, International Foster Care Association (IFCO), Stop Aids Now, Defense for Children, Wereld Kinderen, International Child Support, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Vereniging Jeugd en Kinderzorg, Child Helpline International, Kerk in Actie, ICCO Interkerkelijke organisatie voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Better Care Network is a network of Dutch and Dutch based international organizations involved in the care for children without adequate parental care worldwide.
Mrs. Van der Sloten holds a Bachelors Degree in childcare, education, psychology, and development work. She is the Project Manager, consultant and trainer of the Bep van Sloten International Consultancy and Training Bureau specialized in child and youth care, child protection services, family support and foster care. She has been involved with foster care and family based care project, studies and training programs in India, Romania, Croatia, Namibia,
Macedonia, Europe, Suriname, Latin America, the Netherlands, Kenya/South Africa, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Republic of Korea. Click here to see Mrs. Van der Sloten's CV

Mrs. Mathilda Luna, Project leader of RELAF, Red Latino Americano de Acogimiento Familiar / Latin American Foster Care Network, South and Central America. Mrs. Luna holds has a Bachelors Degree in psychology, and a Master Degree in Minorities and Family. She is a professor at University level and the author of many publications. She has an extensive record of working with families and children, and has extensive experience in investigation, teaching, and qualifications. Her knowledge concentrates in the thematic of childhood, adolescence and family, in situation of infringement of rights. She is regularly consulted by governments and NGOs of countries of Latin America, such as Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Peru. Click here to see Mrs. Luna's CV
Click here for Mrs. Luna's Abstract

Mrs. Myrna McNitt, Life Member of the International Foster Care Organization (I.F.C.O.). Myrna’s holds a Bachelor Degree in Social Science, and a Master Degree in Social Work. She is a professor at University level and has extensive experience in the area of Child Protection, Foster Care, and Juvenile Justice. She has been working in slums in Kenya (Kibera-the second largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa) with HIV infected and affected children and families as well as several disabled children, leading a clinical team providing evidenced based foster care
(multidimensional treatment) to emotionally impaired adolescents in England. She has been actively involved in the development of training resources for foster parents in the United States and the international community. She co-authored training of carers and social workers on supporting optimal child development for the theoretical framework of Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s Touchpoints, which uses the concept of anticipatory guidance and the strength of carer in
understanding the development of child. This curriculum now has been introduced in the USA, as well as Central Eastern. Click here to see Mrs. McNitt's CV
Click here for the abstract: 'Who’s Minding the Child-Who’s Minding the Carer?'

Diana Pearl Hendrickson-Fleming
Ms. Diana Pearl Fleming married Hendrickson has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the Netherlands Antilles (UNA) as well as a Master in Business Administration from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. She has over the years filled various top Executive positions in Government.
Ms. Hendrickson-Fleming has a proven track record in the field of Economic Planning and Development with both the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles and the Island Government of St. Maarten.
After her last position as the Sector Director of Economy and Tourism for the Island Government of St. Maarten, Ms. Hendrickson started her own one-woman operated consultancy firm HPS Consulting. Youth related projects as a Consultant are:

• Micro-Entrepreneur Facilitator with the German Consultancy agency GOPA for a EU funded Youth program

• Coordination and writer of the Integrated Youth Policy for the Island Government of St. Maarten which was financed by the Support to the Netherlands Antilles Youth Development Program (SNAYDP).

• Assessment of the current status of the Child Protection Services and Foster Care in St. Maarten.

Ms. Fleming was born in Curacao from a St.Maarten father and a Kittitian mother. After living for the initial part of her life in Curacao she “came home” and has been residing for the last 22 years in St. Maarten. She is an outstanding citizen of St. Maarten and has used every given opportunity to use her skills and experiences to the benefit of the people of St. Maarten. Click here for the HPS Abstract

Presentations:

Participants are encouraged to present local and regional workplace ideas and practices supporting foster care. Presenters are requested to submit an extract of their presentation. The duration of the presentation should not exceed 15 minutes. Power Point and video presentations are encouraged. Get in contact with the Conference Coordinator on what formats will work best. If you cannot attend the Conference you can send in a video presentation that will be presented on your behalf. Participants are also encouraged to provide publication materials relevant to
Foster Care in their respective countries, such as posters, flyers, dvd’s, video’s, etc.

Languages:

The working language of the conference will be English.

Application:

Application forms must be sent by email to sjib@sintmaarten.net or by fax: (00599)543-3449 by April 13, 2009. Subject: Application Regional Foster Care Conference 2007057.
Click here to download the application form.

Expenses:

Participation in the conference is free of charge. Participants from abroad will have to cover their own travel and boarding expenses.

Accommodation:

Information on board and lodging will be provided on request of participants. For lodging we recommend Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort. For more information visit their website at www.sonesta.com/greatbay or call (00599)545-2115. When making reservations request the F.J.I.W.I. 2009 Regional Foster Care Conference reservation reduced rate (Please use the guaranty Credit Card Authorization Form that can be downloaded here).

Travel and Visa:

Invitees of the following countries in the region require a visa for entry into the Netherlands Antilles: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Haiti, Columbia and Peru. A visa letter could be provided upon request. The same visa can be used to travel to French side, since Dutch and French St. Martin share an open border. All participants travelling from abroad require a valid passport and return ticket.

For more travel information and information concerning the conference,
please call Cynthia van Samson-Filemon, Conference Coordinator,
at (00599)542-3449 or (00599)553-0312
You can also sent us email inquiries at
sjib@sintmaarten.net
Subject: Conferences inquiries 2007057

For more online travel information visit
www.visitsxm.com/requirements
www.sxm.info
www.st-maarten.com
www.sxmarrivaltimes.com
www.pjiae.com
www.governorsxm.com
www.stmaartencarnival.com
www.sint-maarten.net (recommended)

or contact the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau at
Phone: 599-542-2337 • Fax: 599-542-2734
Internet: www.vacationstmaarten.com

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