The reason? When mothers and caregivers face extreme poverty, illness, or social exclusion, they may feel compelled to give up their children as a life-saving act. But studies show that institutionalized children do not develop the secure attachments needed to form a healthy sense of self and trusting relationships. Instead, institutionalized children face lifelong higher risks of exposure to illness, abuse, and poverty compared with children raised in secure families.
That is why our programs protect children in crisis, and restore them to family as soon as possible.
Since starting work in Africa in 1998, ACE has refined a paradigm for family-based care recognized by governments throughout Africa. Today, ACE is a partnership between Africans and Americans who work every single day to keep children with their families in the face of overwhelming circumstances.
Today, over one hundred Zambian leadership and staff members execute our mission as ACE Zambia, with governance by a Zambian board of directors. Our U.S. team works closely with ACE Zambia to operate our consulting services as ACE Transition Partners.
We bring our diverse expertise toward a shared mission: to bring vulnerable children into secure families, schools and communities.
