23rd Infopoverty World Conference - Agenda programme
Best practices for work with youth with disabilities in the U.S. and Russia
1. On child welfare and
disability services in Russia
Elspeth Slayter, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
2.
3.
4. Project description
• Eurasia Foundation grant
• Conduct exchange with
Russian counterpart
• Provide consultation on
youth with disabilities in
child welfare system
• Visit centers providing
evidence-based practices
5. Globalization fosters potential
for exchange programs
• Common focus is on
how global economy
benefits
• Can also…
– Share ideas about how
to make the world a
better place
– Find commonalities that
can transcend
governmental politics
– Build cross-cultural
understanding
6. Comparison of child welfare
policy foci:
Russia
• Prevention of child removal
• Placement with families
• Move from large
orphanages to small
settings
• Support for foster, adoptive
parents
United States
• Safety, permanency, well-
being
• Differential response
• Transitional-aged youth
7. Exchange project: Developing
disability competence in child
welfare
• Created, ran training
• Prepared online training
• Developed resource website, FB page
• Planning on developing “disability
empowerment ambassadors” through MSW
student exchange
9. Center for Curative Pedagogy
• Founded in1989
• Mission: “to demand the right
for people with disabilities to be
educated, rehabilitated and to
live a full and productive life in
which they are fully accepted
within their communities”
• Moonberry Jam video
10. Downside-up
• Founded 1990
• Mission: “provides support
and advice for families
raising children with Down
syndrome, develops
innovative childrens’
trainings and parent support
methods, disseminates
knowledge and experience
among Russian
professionals, and works
towards raising public
awareness about Down
syndrome with the aim of
changing attitudes.”
12. Family village
• Founded in 2014
• “Closed community”
• 17 homes for 11
children each
• Parents live in homes
• Case management,
therapy in-house
• School for disabilities
across the street
• 10 year incentive