Empowerment Values Forum 2026 urges unified framework for orphan care

The Empowerment Values Forum 2026, organized by the Riyadh-based charity Ensan for Orphan Care, recommended developing a unified reference framework for value-based practices in the orphan care sector, as well as establishing a comprehensive value-driven pathway to guide orphans from care to independence.

The recommendations aim to transform values from concepts and activities into institutional practices that are actionable, measurable, and improvable, emphasizing that such practices should be rooted in the actual needs of the children.

Developing value-based work and measurement

The forum stressed the importance of integrating value-based work into the institutional structure of associations, linking it to existing planning and programs in care, education, and rehabilitation. It also recommended launching an applied development lab to redesign, test, and measure practices, while building staff capacity through hands-on application.

In terms of measurement and documentation, the recommendations included creating a tiered evidence system to distinguish between outputs, outcomes, and impact indicators, while adhering to ethical standards that protect children's privacy and ensure their voices inform learning and development.

Enhancing knowledge sharing and best practices

The forum called for establishing a sector-wide learning repository for documented value-based experiences, enabling the conversion of these experiences into adaptable and transferable practice packages. It also highlighted the importance of transforming meetings between orphan care associations into a continuous professional community for sharing designs, tools, and experimental results, in collaboration with the Orphan Associations' Specialized Council, relevant organizations, universities, and the private sector.

The recommendations further emphasized the importance of institutionalizing the Award for Outstanding Value-Based Practices as a tool for learning, motivation, and improving practice quality, with a focus on the maturity, design quality, implementation, documentation, and transferability of practices.