strengthened in 2008 and 2009 with the development of Quality Care Standards for children’s homes which were aligned to the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care as well as Family Tracing and Reunification Guidelines. This was accompanied by a national effort to strengthen alternative care systems with the technical and logistical support from UNICEF and a consortium of NGOs. Efforts included the strengthening of family tracing and reunification programmes and advocacy and monitoring to ensure RCCFs adhered to quality standards. 172. A 2011 survey of RCCFs by the MSWGCA found that the revised laws were not being implemented adequately. Of the 2,159 children identified in 63 RCCFs, 90 percent of the children had been admitted by the RCCF managers without knowledge of the ministerial authorities and without court orders; 55 percent had been admitted for poverty reasons; and 30 percent were admitted because of the death of a carer, despite there being an extended family member who could provide care with followup support. Also, there are abnormally high levels of abuse against children in alternative care, including informal foster or menpikin arrangements and in RCCFs. In 2008, it was found that 58% of child abuse involved children in alternative care (UNICEF-Sierra Leone, 2009). The primary reasons for poor implementation were the limited number of social workers across the country (49 per 125,000 people) with poor oversight capacities and infrastructure challenges. 173. Staff of the MSWGCA were subsequently trained to implement the Quality Care Standards and Family Tracing and Reunification Guidelines. 174. Reunification and appropriate placement processes have improved through the establishment of a Family Tracing and Reintegration (FTR) network and development of a standardised Family Tracing and Reunification System which is being led by focal agencies in all districts with the support of NGOs. 175. The FTR network is a group of child protection organizations that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the MSWGCA to support the ministry carry out family tracing and reunification for children who are separated from their families. To augment its capacity constraints, the Ministry has drawn on the support of its NGO partners and concluded Memoranda of Understanding with designated focal child protection organizations to support Family Tracing and Reunification. The FTR initiative provides a coordinated response to separated and unaccompanied children which draws together and capacitates local service providers to ensure a wide spread of appropriate and lawful family tracing and reunification services as well as alternative placements, where necessary. Through the network, a focal agency was identified in each district to support the MSWGCA with implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting on FTR; specifically to ensure that all placements of children are in their best interests and meet legal requirements. Through the FTR network, mapping of child protection organizations was carried out in 13 districts to identify child protection service providers with capacity and willingness to carry out FTR. Based on the findings of the mapping, the MSWGCA in consultation with child protection agencies identified focal organizations for each district. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was subsequently developed and signed between the MSWGCA and each of the focal agencies. The MoU highlights 6. Family Environment and Alternative Care  49