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Maestral team members have international experience and
multiple areas of expertise in child and family welfare
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Maestral's team members have worked in Asia, Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union, Africa and Latin America. Their experience includes working for the World Bank, the United Nations, Caritas Internationalis, private and public foundations and other grant-making organisations. Their areas of expertise in the child and family welfare area include:
- Design, advocacy and implementation of programs: early child development, protection of institutionalized children, children with handicaps, children of minorities, and children in conflict with the law; young people's health and development; poverty alleviation and integral human development, including education, health, and the fight against global pandemics (HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and influenza); humanitarian assistance, refugee movements, migration, and peace-building; human rights monitoring, promotion and protection through education, training and legal support
- Development of strategic approaches which transform pilot projects promoting the well-being of children and families into national systems of child protection addressing key policy areas such as gate-keeping, standards, temporary and foster care, system financing and monitoring
- Design of national systems of social work training, including setting standards and developing evaluation methods: identification, appraisal and negotiation of programs of investment in community social services to help stabilize families and to provide alternatives to residential institutions.
- Planning and mobilizing support for global conferences and seminars on issues concerning child welfare and protection
- Monitoring and evaluating national and multilateral programs in the areas of child welfare, child protection and family preservation
- Conducting research into child welfare, the short- and long-term effects of early childhood deprivation on child health and development, the use of orphanage intervention programs to ameliorate the negative effects of long-term institutionalization, the effects of an institutional vs. foster care environment on growth and development, the long-term outcome of international adoptees in the United States and the phenomenon of post-arrival "catch-up" growth in stunted post-institutionalized adoptees, as well as research on transitioning from residential to community based services in Eastern Europe.
- Creating collaboratives between governments, non-governmental organizations, multilateral organizations, funders, service providers, evaluators, and technical assistance teams to develop and implement strategies to help OVCs.
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