FICE (Fédération Internationale des Communautés Educatives) International is a global network of organizations and professionals in the field of child and youth care and out-of-home care from more than 45 countries. FICE maintains contacts with UNESCO, UNICEF, the Council of Europe and ECOSOC. It is also a member of the UN-NGO-Group on the Rights of the Child and member of ENSACT.
Our members combine the knowledge and expertise of directors and practitioners of residential programs, stakeholders and policy makers, university professors, and researchers in the fields of social pedagogy, social work, youth work, psychology, and education. Working together they enhance their opportunities to influence the quality of child and youth care services around the world. The FICE network allows its members to exchange knowledge, experiences, and good practices, to join forces in project activities, to look for innovative solutions to new challenges, to set higher goals for services, and institute changes for promoting the wellbeing of vulnerable children in out-of-home care. FICE-International’s vision is to create networks across continents to support actions of all those working with children at-risk, children with special needs, and children and young people in out-of-home care. All activities are based on our respect of all children, of all cultures, their interest, and their needs.
The Israeli FICE National Section was established in 1953 by Meir Gottesmann, the leader of Youth Aliyah. It is currently chaired by Professor Emmanuel Grupper, who was recently appointed as co-president of FICE International, together with Rolf Widmer from Switzerland.
One of the main activities of the international organization is the World Congress. The Congress is held every three years, each time in a different country, and is designed to review the work with children at risk, children with special needs, and children and young people in out-of-home care in different countries and to highlight innovative initiatives and ideas originating in our members’ many fields and disciplines. The upcoming FICE international conference will be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 29 –31