The Right of All Children to a Family: Implications for Placement in Orphanages, Residential Care, and Group Homes under International Law

The 1899 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) has long been interpreted as permitting the placement of children in institutions, such as orphanages and group homes, where abuse rates are exceptionally high. The 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) says otherwise, insisting that children with disabilities have a right to grow up in a family setting. 

On the 30th anniversary of the CRC, Executive Director of Disability Rights International Eric Rosenthal argues it is time for a permanent reinterpretation of the CRC, such that all children are understood to have a right to grow up with a family. Come hear a discussion of the implications - for orphanages, psychiatric facilities, group homes, abuse and neglect cases, and family separations at the border.