Dr. Sandie Morgan and Dave Stachowiak are joined by Leonie Webster, a U.K. trained healthcare and clinical professional. They discuss the downfalls of institutionalized living and a harm reduction model that could provide a solution.
Key Points

Typical consequences of institutional living can include disturbances or delays in psycho social relationships, learning, cognitive development, physical growth, speech, social development, emotional intelligence, or boundary setting.
Having a primary caregiver to respond to infants will promote healthy cognitive development, but in institutional settings there lacks consistency of employed caregivers, which promotes one of the greatest challenges in long term institutional living.
Leonie considers introducing a harm reduction model that includes three preventative subgroups, and is evidence-based in its approach, while remaining child-focused and trauma informed.

Resources


193 – Child Institutionalization and Human Trafficking
161 - Orphan Care in Tanzania with Brandon Stiver

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Transcript
Dave [00:00:00] You're listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. This is episode number 207, The Harms of Institutionalizing Children.

Production Credits [00:00:09] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential.

Dave [00:00:30] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak.

Sandie [00:00:35] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

Dave [00:00:38] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. Sandie, one of the things that I so appreciate about our work together is just how many amazing and wonderful partnerships you have built around the world. And not only are those partnerships and friendships, but just how much we are able to learn from so many of the different people and organizations that you've had the privilege to work with over the years, and today's no different right.

Sandie [00:01:09] Absolutely. And I have to say too, Dave, that it was such a pleasure to be on your podcast to talk about overlapping networks and this is an example of overlapping networks. I have been partnering with Open Gate International and then they introduced me to our guest today, Leonie Webster, who is a UK trained health care clinical professional, a certified nurse, midwife practitioner, and she has academic and professional expertise in neonatal, and attachment deinstitutionalization, trauma-informed care, policy and reform for prevention of child maltreatment, and it goes on and on. And she's got 20 years of experience serving internationally. And in fact, lived in Honduras for seven years. I'm very excited to welcome Leonie to our show.

Leonie [00:02:12] Thank you for having me.

Sandie [00:02:14] Alright. So, we're going to talk about some of your work, but let's talk a little bit about your own personal experience and especially what you learned by living in Honduras for seven years and one of the biggest takeaways.

Leonie [00:02:30] Yes wow, where do we start? That's a loaded question. Yes, I first went to Honduras in 2003, mainly for a short time missions’ trip to go and observe clinical need within the remit of midwifery and obstetrics. And I was thrown into the arena of orphan and vulnerable children because the clinic that I worked in was next door to an orphanage, a residential facility. And I quickly became aware of the huge needs for legally orphaned and vulnerable children at high social risk, especially in a country with high conflict and political instability.