Remember ACT’s Adoption Lobby Alert from 2015 “Adoption Lobby Alert: RIP CHIFF, Hello Global Alliance for Children!“?
Well, here’s an update. This morning we received the below mail, informing us of the closure of operations.
This comes as quite a surprise, since Kathleen Strottman , Executive Director , Global Alliance for Children was recently still going strong at the launch of the Both End Believing’s Conference (former Both Ends Burning). You can watch the video here
Kathleen Strottman was previously the Executive Director of CCAI, the non-profit partner to the largest bicameral caucus in Congress – and former right-hand of pro-adoption champion Mary Landrieu. This Global Alliance, made up by some big names like Lumos’ Georgette Mulheir, Unicef’s Cornelius Williams, former Holt’s Dan Lauer, could apparently not achieve their desired results:
From: “Philip Goldman” <[email protected]>
Date: 17 Nov 2017 18:26
Subject: Global Alliance for Children: closure of operations
To: “Philip Goldman” <[email protected]>
Cc: “Kathleen Strottman” <[email protected]>
Dear friend of the Global Alliance for Children,As Chair of the Board, I am writing the share the news that the Global Alliance for Children (“GAC”) will be ceasing operations. Our Executive Director, Kathleen Strottman, will end her work with the Alliance on December 31, 2017, and GAC will continue to wind down or transfer its projects for a short period after that.
GAC was created in 2013 by a group of multilaterals, bilaterals, NGOs, experts and funders interested in developing a cross-cutting and innovative platform for meeting the needs of children in adversity around the globe. GAC aimed to provide a global platform for responses to issues of early childhood development, ensuring family care for all and preventing violence against children. The overall objective was to support governments and other stakeholders in adopting a holistic approach in their policies, programs and services addressing children’s needs and vulnerabilities.
Since then, GAC has been an active supporter and participant in global convenings, including an important recent data summit, where it has worked to advocate around this message. GAC also participated in the founding, development and implementation of Cambodia’s ongoing Family Care First program. GAC has developed a significant public-private partnership for that program, and supported and facilitated emerging research efforts for children outside of family care.
Still, progress has proved challenging. Other important global alliances and networks have overlapping mandates with GAC’s mission, and bilateral funding has been challenging to secure in the current environment. This has made it difficult to develop the necessary capacity to operate effectively at both the global and national levels. Further, GAC’s approaches to collective impact have proven challenging to operationalize on the ground.
The Board has reviewed these challenges, and has decided the next logical step is to wind down its operations. However, the current members of GAC’s Board intend to continue their collaboration as an informal consultative group, meeting annually to discuss their individual and collective efforts to pursue their objectives of securing more integrated and holistic approaches to the needs of children in adversity.
I assure you that the Board and staff are working diligently to ensure an orderly wind down of operations, and to transfer GAC’s current projects in the field to other organizations.
We thank the many individuals, funders and organizations that collaborated on GAC’s mission and provided it with resources, that partnered in its programming, and that served as staff or members of the Board. While we are disappointed in this outcome, we remain optimistic that we all, collectively, can still work together to make this a better world for children.
Please feel free to contact Kathleen if you have any specific questions.
With my appreciation,
Philip Goldman
Chair
Global Alliance for Children
Philip Goldman
PresidentEmail: [email protected]
Tel: 612-354-3085
