Bolivia: “From the Nest: from Birth, Identity, Rights and Opportunities ”

Country: Bolivia; cities of La Paz, Cochabamba, Tarija and Oruro

Institutional donors: Commission for International Adoptions

Amici dei Bambini is the lead organization of this international cooperation project co-financed by the Commission for International Adoptions aimed at improving the care system for out-of-family and orphaned minors in Bolivia, supporting reintegration strategies in their family of origin and promoting family reception (foster care, national and international adoption), and to guarantee the right to health and education for them and for minors in conditions of social/family vulnerability. These objectives are pursued in synergy with the institutional actors, public and non-public, of the Bolivian protection, education and health system, in La Paz, Cochabamba, Tarija, Oruro.

All the organizations authorized to manage international adoption procedures in the Andean country participate as partners in the project, which has a duration of 18 months.

There are three specific areas of intervention of the project dedicated to minors: “health”, “education” and “reception”. With regard to the health, health care is offered to minors in institutions, as well as specialist visits and treatments to those in conditions of extreme poverty and vulnerability. As far as education is concerned, minors are guaranteed personalized educational and pedagogical support, with particular attention to those with learning difficulties or other special needs. Lastly, we are working on improving the reception capacities of the centers both from an environmental point of view and with regard to their capacity of taking care of minors, with particular reference to the definition of strategies for reintegration into the family of origin or alternative family care, and to personalized accompaniment to autonomy for care leavers.

Activities also include awareness raising and training on issues of fostering and national and international adoption of 120 operators of the reception center teams, 80 families of origin and foster families, and more than 200 public officials. Among the other initiatives on the agenda is the organization of an international meeting on adoption to encourage the exchange of good practices.

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