History of the Organisation

In June of 1989, thirty eight national child welfare nongovernmental organizations ( NGO's ), representing approximately three hundred child welfare NGO's on six continents, joined in the founding of the International Forum for Child Welfare ( IFCW ) at Haikko, Finland.

The founding was the culmination of four years of preparation begun in 1985 by Sir Leslie Kirkley, the first Director of OXFAM, and by Alan Davis, President of the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence in the USA.  Sir Leslie died six months before the founding Haikko meetings.  Alan Davis served as the Chairman of the founding meetings and was elected IFCW's first President.

Joining Sir Leslie and Mr. Davis during the years of preparation for the founding meetings were:

Arbeitsgemeinshaft fur Jugenhilfe - Germany
Asilio Mariucci - Italy 
Central Union for Child Welfare - Finland
Centre pour Protection de l'Enfance - France
Indonesian Foundation for Child Welfare - Indonesia
Radda Barnen - Save The Children - Sweden.

The IFCW's mission, as envisioned by the founders, is to encourage, nurture and strengthen new child welfare initiatives which first take the form, in most countries, of small, developing child welfare nongovernmental organizations that depend on collaboration and technical assistance for capacity building.

The IFCW was granted consultative status with the United Nations in 1995.

UN consultative status gives the IFCW official access to UN facilities throughout the world, provides IFCW with UN reports and current data related to child welfare, and allows the IFCW input into relevant UN meetings and sessions.