In the wake of the economic crisis that gripped Sri Lanka in 2022, an alarming number of families have been compelled to place their children in institutional care. The harsh reality is that many families struggle to provide even the most basic necessities, such as food and shelter, for their children. Consequently, a significant portion of Sri Lanka's children find themselves separated from their families and forced to grow up in institutional care.

This separation has long-term consequences on their lives. Such children often face delays in physical development, struggle with cognitive skills, and find it difficult to form healthy emotional bonds. They often end up with a worldview where affection is sparse and trust is fragile, leading to a lifetime of challenges in relationships and social integration.

The statistics are grim. Sri Lanka’s 2019 Census revealed that 10,632 children lived in such childcare institutions, one of the highest numbers per capita in South Asia. Even more distressing is that 92.1% of these children have at least one living parent. This statistic is a poignant reminder that these children are not orphans by fate but by a cruel twist of circumstance.

At iProbono, we refuse to accept this as the status quo.

We firmly believe that every child deserves to grow up in the warmth and love of a family, feel loved and cherished. That's why we've launched an initiative to promote family-based care for vulnerable children in Sri Lanka.

Our approach is simple yet profound. We advocate for a paradigm shift in child care, placing families at the heart of our efforts. We believe in protecting children from the pain of being separated from their homes due to dire need. To achieve this, we must build an approach that prioritises family-based care, offering support and resources to ensure stable homes. We argue for institutional care to be used sparingly, as a last resort, and with regular review.

This is a challenging path to tread. Despite international and national policy declarations recognising children's rights, there exists a significant gap between rhetoric and action. International donor resources, intended to support family-based care, often end up maintaining or constructing smaller institutionalised care facilities, perpetuating a cycle of vulnerability for these children.

We are committed to addressing these challenges by advocating for systemic changes that prioritise family-based care for vulnerable children. We firmly believe these measures are essential for putting the interests of children first.

Our Approach:

Our interventions and advocacy draw on our rich experience in securing child rights in South Asia. Across the region and in Sri Lanka, we have experience in using strategic litigation as a driver of social change. Such litigation plays a crucial role in holding governments accountable and driving policy change.

iProbono has initiated several such interventions which have created great impact in people’s lives. For example, in 2023, our team in Nepal initiated a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the right to access for persons with disabilities. iProbono India worked with HAQ - Centre for Child Rights to secure a landmark judgement from the Delhi High Court, which gave child survivors a say in bail hearings during Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) trials.

We will bring this wealth of experience to this campaign.

To achieve this, we will collaborate with partner organisations and identify cases of institutionalised children who have faced a violation of their rights. These cases will serve as the basis for fundamental rights applications, through which we will seek legal remedies and push for policy changes. We will also urge international donors to redirect their support toward sustainable family-based systems of care.

But our work goes beyond legislative measures. We have found that it is equally important to change the narrative. So we will also use evidence-based advocacy to demonstrate how institutionalisation can harm vulnerable children, and work closely with civil society partners to engage government officials and care providers, and urge them to bring about systemic changes in these policies.

Additionally, we will create public-facing awareness campaigns to shift public discourse around the institutionalisation of children. These campaigns will build on our previous experience with the "Just Say No Campaign," Stigma Series, BetterTogether Campaign, and Being Human Campaign, which are both thought-provoking and impactful. They have shifted the narrative on LGBT+ rights and garnered over 2.5 million views across all platforms. We are confident we can achieve the same for building a family-centered care system for children.

But we can’t do this alone.

How You Can Help:

We need your help in achieving these goals of advancing children's rights, supporting the government in its deinstitutionalisation efforts and ultimately ending the institutionalisation of children in Sri Lanka as far as possible, especially due to poverty. To fulfil these objectives, we are seeking to raise the amount of USD $30,000.

By donating to this effort, you will allow us to

Conduct evidence-based advocacy and strategic litigation to demonstrate the harm of institutionalisation

Engage with government officials and care providers to push for systemic changes

Launch public-facing awareness campaigns to shift public discourse and promote family-based care for children

Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable children in Sri Lanka. Your contribution, no matter the size, will help us ensure that financial need doesn't deprive these children of the love and care of a family.

For more information, please reach out to Geilee Skandakumar, iProbono’s Communications and Advocacy Officer in Sri Lanka at geilee.skandakumar@i-probono.com.