Note: This article originally appeared on Medium.
Has anyone ever inquired about your wellbeing as a child or as a parent? Can you genuinely articulate your state of being, or do you find yourself diverting the conversation toward your activities instead? Many of us respond with politeness and attempt to shift the focus away from our true emotional state. The reality is, we often struggle to provide an accurate answer regarding our own wellbeing or that of our child, and we are reluctant to reveal the truth. For children at risk of being abused, neglected or exploited, this question poses an even greater challenge as it intensifies emotional stress and may even lead to traumatic experiences.
For over 140 years, Upbring has been dedicated to serving children who have endured severe abuse and neglect, many of whom live with lasting trauma. Our enduring legacy surpasses that of numerous renowned organizations and foundations. With firsthand experience, we deeply understand the myriad challenges that children encounter as a result of such devastating circumstances.
Seven years ago, we embarked on a profound challenge: to reexamine our organization and our performance. We undertook a comprehensive effort to reexamine our outcomes and considerations, ensuring that we possessed the necessary context to forge meaningful solutions. At the heart of this endeavor was our impact on the child and our ability to transform and enhance the trajectory of their lives. Our framework encompassed a reexamination of four crucial areas:
- Are we operating under the right considerations? Do we possess a deep understanding of the implications and assumptions inherent in our systems, structures, policies, philosophical direction, and desired outcomes?
- Are our programs and services addressing the holistic needs of the child? Do our efforts truly demonstrate our genuine care for their humanity?
- Do we comprehend the risks and costs to society that drive our unwavering commitment to assisting these children?
- Last but equally significant, are we providing the essential positive reinforcement that these children require?
Over the past years, we have diligently delved into these areas. We have commissioned and participated in numerous studies, and reexamined our own assumptions as well as those embedded within our programs and services. We have conducted extensive analyses of performance and outcomes across various aspects including operations, finance, personnel, policy, and data. Additionally, we have undertaken multiple surveys to understand the experiences of the children we serve and the public sentiment towards child wellbeing.
In the weeks to come, our first series of articles will delve into our findings and perspectives on each aspect of these four major topics. Each article will feature the diligent work of our team, offering compelling justifications for their importance and relevance to the wellbeing of children. You can access all our articles on our newsroom page or research page on our website at Upbring.org/News or Upbring.org/Research.