Life in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina is not easy, with fragmented communities and uneasy government operating within an economically challenged environment. There is currently more than 40% unemployment and as many as 50% of people living below the official poverty line.

Many families’ lives reflect this fragmentation and the battle with poverty. Support for these families is thin on the ground. For some, institutional care for their children becomes the only option for survival, especially for disabled children and children with special needs. Of the 4,000 children estimated to be in care in Bosnia, as many as 40% are thought to be learning disabled.

Life is hard enough for all young people on leaving care at the age of 18 years, but those with special needs can only look forward to a life in large asylum-like institutions. Institutions are not the best places for anyone to be! Our Kids aims to promote and test ways of working for children in care and their families that are different to current institutional practices.