New Year, New Approach
Rescuing MORE children from the streets and reuniting them with family.
In 2019, Shelter began our Individual Rehabilitation Program (IRP), and in 2020, we are committed to continuing our individualized approach to family reunification.
In the past, we have held one rescue in the beginning of the year, and reintegrated any boys who were ready at the end of the year. However, as we have learned more about working with street-connected children and families, we have adjusted our program so that no child stays on the street or in care one day longer than necessary.
What changes does that bring for our program?
Multiple rescues during the year instead of just one. In 2019, we had a rescue in March and another in October. Moving forward, we aim to have multiple, smaller rescues throughout the year. When a boy is ready to leave the street, we will bring him to Shelter immediately.
Reintegration as soon as the boy and his family are ready. As we prepare boys and families for reintegration, our social workers will complete a Child Status Index tool to assess the readiness of both parties. This tool measures not only on the family’s ability to provide for the child’s needs, but also how the boy and family are feeling emotionally about a return home. As soon as a safe and healthy reunification is possible, the boy will return home. For some, that may be just a month or two; for others, longer. But each case will be assessed individually. A social worker will also follow up with school and home visits until the child finishes school, or reaches the age of 18.
New roles for the social work team. With the increase in staffing, each social worker now has a more specific and dedicated role. For example, our street welfare officer will be in the streets several days a week building relationships with boys and bringing them to Shelter, while another social worker will focus solely on follow-up with boys who have already returned home.
We have already seen a great success with this new approach. We are very pleased that these program changes will allow us to serve even more children and families in the future!
With our new approach, we hope to rescue 3-4 boys a week until we reach capacity. Please welcome John, Francis, Patrick, and Michael to Shelter! They joined us this month and are currently completing the rehabilitation program.
Dennis: A Journey Home
Meet Dennis
Every child in our care has their own unique story, and the plan of action is often different for each boy. Rather than assume we know the best way forward for everyone, we work closely with each family to determine what is best for all of them.
Dennis came to Shelter in 2016. The oldest of three, Dennis struggled at home with his grandmother, uncle, and his very ill mother. He loved his family dearly, and felt pressure to go to the street to avoid burdening them further.
He was 14 years old when he arrived at Shelter, but had no formal education. Though he was significantly older than his peers at school, Dennis never complained. He continued to work hard and diligently completed 3 years of education while at Shelter, as we continued to work with his family to prepare to receive him back home.
In 2017, less than a year into his time at Shelter, Dennis received the news that his mother had passed away. He was devastated but more determined than ever to succeed in school and one day help support his family.
Dennis knew that because of his advanced age, he likely would not complete his education all the way through secondary school. But he set realistic goals and studied hard so that he would get as much as possible from his years in school.
In late 2019, at 17, Dennis was satisfied that he had reached his goal of reading and writing well enough to be successful in his future endeavors. Along with his family, and with the support of Shelter, he made the decision to return home and pursue a course in mechanics. His uncle worked with other family members to relocate Dennis closer to a town where he can receive the best training.
He recently started his training course, and we have no doubt that he will work hard and one day use his skills to support himself and his family.
Lots of preparation goes into welcoming new boys to Shelter! Each child, upon arrival, is provided with a mattress, blanket, bedsheets, shoes, a pair of socks, sandals, sports shoes, three pair of trousers, three shirts, two vests, three pairs of underwear, a belt, two jackets, tooth brush, toothpaste, lotion, bath soap, two handkerchiefs, one t-shirt and mosquito net, a bar of laundry soap and a backpack.
Thank You!
Your gifts allow us to reunite boys like Dennis with their families and, with our new approach, will help us to rescue and reunite more boys than any year in our history. Would you consider a one-time or recurring monthly gift to help support the important work we are doing in Kenya?