CfC, a member of FICE

• is a professional association working for quality care for children being cared for outside their families;
• promotes a range of initiatives to improve the quality of care for children and young people;
• supports people working with children and young people outside their families;
• brings together people working with children in teaching, social work, social care and health care:
• develops policies of child care practice:
• prepares briefings and comments on policy Initiatives:
• publicises initiatives to improve care for children and young people;
• collaborates with like-minded organisations;
• keeps in touch with a range of international organisations through its membership of FICE;
• encourages anyone with an interest in quality care for children to attend the international conferences and meetings of FICE as well as those of other international associations.
• attempts to prepare up to date 'White Books’ of social care policies that members wish to be addressed by politicians.

FICE

CARING FOR CHILDREN is also the England and Wales National Section of the Fédération Internationale des Communautés Educatives (FICE) which was set up by UNESCO in 1948 as an international organisation for people working with children and young people.

FICE has National Sections in over 30 countries, spanning four continents and bringing together some tens of thousands of child care workers, teachers, social workers and health professionals.

FICE holds a biennial Congress and approximately every six months there is a seminar on a topic of interest to its members. Recent topics have included: difficult behaviour, children's rights and adventure education.

FICE operates a Professional Exchange Programme for people who may wish to study child care policy and/or practice in other countries. It is intended to cover study visits of up to six months duration to a child care facility abroad.

Projects in the UK wishing to offer placements to child care staff from abroad and child care staff in the UK wanting to undertake a study visit to another FICE
country are invited to contact the UK PEP Co-ordinator on CfC@kathleenlane.org

Membership

CARING for CHILDREN needs committed professionals working with children and young people to further develop its work in the UK. Also internationally we want to do more work to increase the network of people working together for the benefit of children throughout the world.

Membership of CARING for CHILDREN Is open to any individuals or organisations working with children and young people who:

• are committed to quality care for children.
• endorse the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• agree to abide by the Constitution, Bylaws and Code of Practice of the Association.

Individual members

• can form local groups, special interest groups and task groups to address child care topics in a variety of ways, including e-mail.

• are entitled to participate in all the activities of the Association, to vote and to hold office.

Organisation members

• are entitled to use the FICE logo and the words ‘a member of FICE through Caring for Children’ on stationery as long as they remain in membership.

• an individual who belongs to an agency which is an organisation member may obtain full individual membership at a reduced rate ( enabling them to hold office in CfC )

Internet Magazine

CARING for CHILDREN will soon offer members the opportunity for interactive contact through the Internet Magazine

In this way members can contribute directly to the development of the policies and work of the Association. Members will also have access to a special restricted area of children.uk.co which contains CfC only.

For more information contact The CfC Secretary at secretary@caringforchildren.co.uk or write to 26 Marriott Grove, Sandal, Wakefield, WF2 6RP, or telephone 07946 674 467