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Robert Mark Glover

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Glover is founder and executive director of the UK children's charity Care for Children.[1] Glover also works as an advisor to the Chinese government on social welfare for disadvantaged children.[2]

Early life

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Glover grew up not knowing his father, and was raised by his mother, grandmother and two sisters in Norfolk, England.[3] He played for Norwich City football club in his youth, and later played football for Portsmouth F.C.,[4] but stopped following an injury.[3]

Career

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After joining the Royal Navy, Glover went on to work for the Norfolk County Council and eventually got a degree[where?] in social work. On a trip to Shanghai with a friend, Glover was appointed by the director of Shanghai’s Civil Affairs Bureau, to work with them as senior consultant in developing their child welfare system to include foster care.[5] The charity Care for Children was registered in the UK, and Glover signed an agreement to start in 1998.[5]

Accompanied by his wife and six children, Glover moved to Shanghai to work moving orphans and vulnerable children from institutional care into foster family care.[6][7][8] The fostering project was launched with the objectives of 1) establishing a foster care program for children in the Shanghai state orphanage and 2) setting up a program of childcare training.[3][5] After a successful pilot project, the Ministry of Civil Affairs asked Glover to move to Beijing to act as advisor to the government and help roll out the foster care program.[9]

Following a successful pilot project, the Shanghai government awarded Glover the White Magnolia Award for outstanding services to the city.[2][1] In 2005, he was awarded an OBE in Queen Elizabeth II’s 2005 New Year Honours.[2][1][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Focus on The Family Canada - Radio". www.focusradio.ca.
  2. ^ a b c "Activate. Connect. Equip". Wwoforum.
  3. ^ a b c "The Briton who found families for almost 1 million orphaned Chinese children". South China Morning Post. 10 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Portsmouth FC - Squad 1976/1977". worldfootball.net. 7 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Profile: Robert Glover, bringing fostering to China". The Guardian. 2 August 2000.
  6. ^ "Exchanging institutions for families". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
  7. ^ Pinheiro, Paulo Sergio (2006). World Report on Violence Against Children (PDF). Geneva: United Nations Publishing Service. p. 87. ISBN 9295057511. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. ^ Mulheir, Georgette; Browne, Kevin; AGATHONOS-GEORGOPOULOU, Helen; Darabus, Stephen; Hamilton-Giachritsis, Catherine; Herczog, Maria; Keller, Hamela, Maria; Leth, Ingrid; Ostergren, Mikael; Pritchard, Cecilia; Stan, Violeta (2007). De-institutionalising and transforming children's services: A guide to good practice (PDF). Birmingham: University of Birmingham. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-0704426269. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Dr Robert Glover". The Justice Conference Asia.
  10. ^ "New Year Honours--United Kingdom", The London Gazette of Thursday 30 December 2004 Supplement No. 1; accessed 14 August 2020.