Why is Fairstart Foundations work important?
The short answer is that our training programmes have a documented positive and immediate effect on the development and well-being of vulnerable and neglected children and youth. Our education packages are on high demand all over the world: we have 10.000 visitors every month on this platform, and we receive weekly requests from potential partners, who wish to use our services.
The majority of the 140 million children globally who grow up separated from their parents do not have access to the professional quality care that is so vital for giving them a fair start in life. It is inhumane towards the children, but it is also an inefficient utilization of their resources and thereby a very bad “business” for society. This is why Fairstart designs training programmes for the caregivers of abandoned and vulnerable children.
We believe that we can make the world a better place for the millions of children who grow up in children’s homes. We can change the lives for all the children who grow up in foster care. We can change the lives of vulnerable and neglected children and youth. We believe that all children deserve a fair start in life.
How can we help children save the world?
Fairstart Foundation works to create local systems of quality childcare. Thus, we find and invite local government representatives, local NGO’s and professionals to join in cooperation with us in reaching our vision. We combine the knowledge of a global network of respected researchers, who have donated their knowledge about children without parents. We seek to raise funds to ensure that countries and regions without many resources can have the opportunity to improve the lives of vulnerable children.
Here you can watch an interview with Randolph Oudemans, director at our Indonesian partner organisation, ReAct.
What we do in practice
We train caregivers of vulnerable children and children without parental contact in high quality caregiving. We teach caregivers about basic childcare. We train them to handle many children per adult and to cope with traumatised children. We also educate instructors that can train caregivers in their local language.
Our products consist of free online training programmes for caregivers and an online instructor education. Both the programmes and the education are to be completed through a mix of online learning and practical implementation, and they require only a few technical tools to use and to build a strong foundation. This way, Fairstart Foundation helps caregivers improve child development even in places with very few resources.
The training programmes are divided into sessions, where the caregiver groups learn the theory behind high quality childcare. Between sessions, they work with the theory in practice with the children in their care.
The instructor education is divided into modules, where the participants learn both theory behind childcare as well as organisational and learning theory, making them capable of teaching caregivers. Between modules, the participants instruct caregiver groups in the training sessions.
Here is an interview with a young girl from an Indonesian children’s home that operates with our programmes: