Every child has the right to emotional support, care and protection from within the home, the system and the country. The implementation of psychosocial support to meet this right and ensure that children have love, care and protection on all levels has been proven effective around the world.
From the 29 -31 October, the Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (REPSSI) in partnership with the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) the Government of Kenya and the East African Community join forces to corroborate, engage and address some key issues in the implementation of psychosocial support in child protection frameworks.
Following the success of the initial forum which took place in 2001 in Johannesburg, South Africa, this event promises high level discussion from leading stakeholders including government, civil society, academia, international, regional and community partners as well as children themselves.
Under the theme Psychosocial Support for Child Protection: linking evidence and practice the forum focuses on psychosocial support interventions and approaches offered to address some of the key components of an effective child protection framework, as well as the measurable outcomes experienced and expected.
As every child has the right to meaningful participation in issues affecting them, REPSSI (www.repssi.org) is establishing a pre-PSS children’s working group meeting, where children between the ages of 12-16 will deliberate and participate in a safe environment and collectively communicate their realities, perspectives and ideas to the conference attendees. Kenya’s children’s government and Child President will attend and participate in these forums.
Psychosocial support is the right of every child, in the language of resilience and strength in the human spirit:
“I am, I can, I have”.
