
Faith and the Family Forum
Beginning in 2023, the Faith and the Family forum will focus on Christian faith communities and their contributions to both the propagation and prevention of child-family separation across time and contexts. The forum will explore the theological dimensions of these issues and growing evidence about the effects of child-family separation on developmental outcomes across the life course.
The forum on Faith and the Family: Propagating and Preventing Child-Family Separation across Time and Context will be convened by Catholic Relief Services and Georgetown University’s Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues, in coordination with the Changing the Way We Care initiative and strategic partners.
With a particular focus on the Roman Catholic faith, project partners will consider the extent to which religious belief systems and practices have justified or opposed the separation of children from families in a variety of historical and regional contexts: American slavery, Indigenous communities, the development and use of residential care worldwide, and in migration policy and response. Partners will also consider the role of the Catholic Church in supporting vulnerable children, families, and communities and preventing unnecessary child-family separation.
The Faith and the Family forum will be shaped by a collaborative design team of thought leaders committed to incorporating a variety of perspectives into the conversation, including those who have experienced child-family separation, faith leaders, programmatic actors, researchers, and other stakeholders.
We invite you to join us. For more information, please contact globalchildren@georgetown.edu or sign up to receive email updates.
Collaborative Design Team
Rev. Charles Chilufya, S.J.
Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar
Director of the Justice and Ecology Office
Karis Danner-McDonald
Collaborative on Global Children's Issues
Faith and the Family Undergraduate Student Fellow
Rev. Gerard J. McGlone, S.J.
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Senior Research Fellow
Racquel Royer
Collaborative on Global Children's Issues
Faith and the Family Graduate Student Fellow
Events

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Slavery, Child-family Separation, and the Catholic Church in the United States
The origin story of the Catholic Church in the United States includes a dependency on slave labor and sales to sustain itself and build its institutions. In 1838, a group of America’s most prominent Catholic priests, the Society of Jesuits, sold 272 enslaved people to save Georgetown University…
Other Events
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20
Essays
Faith and the Family Forum Submission Guidelines and Process
The forum on Faith and the Family: Propagating and Preventing Child-Family Separation across Time and Context is convened by Catholic Relief Services and Georgetown University’s Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues, in coordination with the Changing the Way We Care initiative and strategic…
Blog Posts
Slavery, Child-family Separation, and the Catholic Church in the United States
September 11, 2023
The origin story of the Catholic Church in the United States includes a dependency on slave labor and sales to sustain itself and build its institutions. In 1838, a group of the United States’ most prominent Catholic priests, the Society of Jesuits, sold 272 enslaved people to save Georgetown…
Responses

Here I Am
Mélisande Short-Colomb (C’21), Research and Community Engagement Associate, Georgetown University Laboratory on Global Performance and Politics | September 11, 2023
The Theology of the Child, Children's Care, and Protection
April 24, 2023
The phenomenon of preventable child-family separation is as old as time. Societal approaches to children at risk of losing parental care are largely informed by cultural beliefs and habits. Faith-based perspectives and responses are—and have always been—an important part of this equation. Christian…
Responses

Working Towards a World Where All Children Flourish and Reach Their God-given Potential in Safe and Nurturing Families: A Reflection by Catholic Relief Services
Roberto Navarro, Senior Director for U.S. Church Engagement, Catholic Relief Services | April 24, 2023

The Next Frontier: Developing a Child-Informed Theology of Children
Jennifer E. Beste, Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture, College of Saint Benedict | April 24, 2023
Features
