UISG: Catholic sisters advocate for ‘a family for every child’

By Sr. Titilayo Aduloju, SSMA

Across the globe, millions of children find themselves living in institutional care due to various circumstances- poverty, loss of parents, and many others.

CCCI believes that from the very beginning, in the heart of creation, the family was God's original design for humanity. This means that family is not just a social construct; it is a divine plan for human beings to thrive.

A loving family provides emotional support, stability, and a safe space for children to grow, learn, and thrive. The bonds formed within families are essential for a child's sense of self-worth and connectedness to their community and culture. 

Sr. Mary Niluka Perera, RSG, the Coordinator of UISG-CCCI in an interview with the Vatican News, clearly brought out the importance of family care for children over institutional care.

CCCI and its goals

The CCCI, according to Sr Perera is an initiative of the Union of International Superiors General (UISG) to ensure that children grow up in a safe, loving family or a family-like environment.

She said the movement began with the Association of the Religious of Uganda in 2016 with the support and guidance of the GHR foundation.

The coordinator emphasized the three main pillars of CCCI: the Catholic field, social sciences, and child rights.

According to her, the first pillar is rooted in Catholic social teaching, the second emphasizes the importance of nurturing families for holistic child development, and the third is centred on the right of children to a family.

CCCI aims to support the religious congregations to read the signs of the time and to make their charisma relevant in today's context, Sr Perera said.

 “It also provides online training for the religious who are willing and who are wanting to change their methodology from giving institutional care to family and community-based care,” she further stated.”

Why move away from institutional children care?

“The practice of providing institutional care by religious organizations has existed for centuries.” Sr. Perera explained that “Institutional care for children refers to the upbringing or a care provided to children within institutions, it could be, group homes, residential schools, or other formal facilities.”

“These establishments are typically set up to house and provide for children who for various reasons unable to live with their biological families or in the traditional family settings,” she added.

Although these institutions provide the basic needs for the children, they might lack the personalized care, emotional support, and sense of belonging that a family environment offers, Sr. Perera stressed.

More so, researchers have often suggested, according to her, that “children thrive better in family-based care, experiencing healthy, emotional and psychological development compared to institutional settings.”

Every child for a family

Realizing this goal of every child for a family is indeed a process and requires a change in mindset, a change in heart, and subsequently a change in action.

This means that winning the hearts and minds of the people for care and reform is essential. Sr. Perera believed that “the convinced individuals need a set of skills and capacities to move from their current state, to meet the expected goals”.

However, she believed that no single organization can fulfill all the needs of a child, hence at the grassroots level, CCCI partners are actively working to advance care reform by building the requisite capacities, talents, and skills as well as winning over hearts and minds.

According to Sr Perera, CCCI works to strengthen families. “This calls for collaborative efforts, networking, and partnership with others in the concept,” she added.

Therefore, CCCI collaborates with others to facilitate the successful transition of a child back to their family and community, and also prevent the separation of children from their families, she explained.

CCCI to spread to other African countries and continents

CCCI was established in East Africa, but it has now also moved to some parts of Asia and Sri Lanka, Sr Perera affirmed.

She expressed joy that sisters from 17 countries have completed training on CCCI and said their basic goal is to move towards family-based solutions.

 “They are communicating with us,” she continued, “They are communicating with the sisters in the world who are working very effectively in care, reform, and learning from each other.”

“So, it is slowly spreading into the other parts of the world,” she added.

“Catholic Sisters have for centuries responded to God’s call to love and serve those in greatest need. Their response today is transforming the lives of children and families–and of the sisters themselves,” Sr. Perera concluded.