Australia and the US removed children from institutions in the 1980s. Yet, many Australians and Americans today start orphanages in other parts of the world.
In this session we explore the history of institutionalisation in these countries, why they shut all their orphanages and look at how growing up in a family was recognised as a human right 30 years ago! We also look at why these experiences are not known by many of the citizens in those countries and how this has led to people opening orphanages and participating in orphanage volunteering.
- Course Prerequisites
This course provides a comparative case for students as they process the issue of institutionalised care in Cambodia. Students explore the journey of the US and Australia away from institutionalised care and reflect upon how similar approaches for advocating of change could be employed today. This course provides the foundational knowledge which is used in the Championing a Cause course.
This course has curriculum links with the Australian Curriculum, prompts of the Ethical Understanding outcomes as well as links to Level 6 History Popular Culture outcomes.
The church has historically – and today – had a large role to play in the institutionalisation of children. In this session we look a bit more at that history, and at the theological and missiological assumptions made about orphanages and whether they are accurate.
This course is available as a stand alone workshop or as part of a longer training package exploring the issues surrounding institutionalisation.
The course is currently offered only in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.