Hiring national and international institutions to carry out study on residential care and care reform in Timor-Leste

Despite significant legislative and programmatic reforms in the country, Timor-Leste children face violence, unnecessary family separation, and lack access to high-quality child protection services. One urgent issue is uncontrolled institutionalization of children, where many are placed in residential care facilities(including orphanages), despite the majority being estimated to have at least living one parent, often and without proper due diligence process. Timor-Leste ranks second in East Asia for child institutionalisation, with a rate of 256 per 100,000 children, which is 95% higher than the regional average of 131 per 100,000. An estimated 2,500 to 3,000 children are living in unregulated facilities. There is a direct linkage between children growing up outside of family-based care and negative impact on their health and nutrition status, with global studies showing that that children living in residential care are at higher risk of violence, and not getting sufficient nurturing care, including  good nutrition and stimulating interactions in a supportive and secure environment to maximize brain development. This is more harmful for younger children as 85% of brain development occurs before the age of 5, a period that needs safe and nurturing family-based care, not institutional care.  The child’s brain needs good nutrition, stimulating interactions, and nurturing care in a supportive and secure environment to maximize brain development. UNICEF will support the Government to make available data on children living in residential care institutions for informed decision making. A new law on the protection of children and youths in danger enacted in 2023, provides a unique entry point for legislative reforms, including assessments, case management support for family-based reintegration, and promotion of family-based-care alternatives (kinship care, foster care, adoption), for all children, including girls and youths.

There is an urgency to support the government of Timor-Leste in regulating institutionalization in the country and establishing mechanisms to prevent unnecessary family separation. Accurate, up-to-date and reliable data on children living in residential care institutions is currently unavailable. This is primarily due to lack of management systems that prioritizes all care institutions and not just those getting funds from the government, as well as due to lack of commitment to assess overall situation of children rather than solely focusing on fund expenditure.  As a result understanding the demographics and abuse in these institutions remains a significant challenge. The existing data is outdated, with the last mapping conducted in 2012, which did not cover the full range of well-being indicators. Additionally, the population-representative household surveys do not identify these children, resulting in their exclusion from official national statistics on key indicators of child well-being nor programming. The lack of comprehensive information on the forms of care, the number and types of children in different facilities, the risks they face, the support they receive, and the legislative and institutional mechanisms in place, as well as gaps in alternative care in the country, is a critical gap for programming. Such data and analysis are critical for evidence-based advocacy and to enable the government to embark on a comprehensive care reform programme, develop plans and policies, including setting better inspection, minimum standards, deinstitutionalization and establishing gatekeeping mechanisms. This mapping will focus on filling this critical knowledge gap and in close collaboration with the government, utilize the results of the survey to develop future advocacy measures.