Our Founder: Francoise Remington
Francoise Remington is the founder and executive director of FORGOTTEN CHILDREN, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Arlington, Virginia, which seeks to improve the conditions of children living in difficult circumstances in the world, mainly through educational projects. Since its establishment in 1994, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN has developed a proven record of implementing small vocational and educational projects in India and Haiti.
For the past 16 years, Mrs. Remington has been a child rights advocate. From 1985 to 1988, she directed the India Program for the American Adoption Agency, in Washington, D.C. During that time, she traveled extensively throughout India visiting orphanages. She placed 25 orphan children in American homes. While traveling in India, she also witnessed children working in factories. In response, she established a network of Indian and Nepalese activists who are working to eradicate child labor. In June 1996, she testified on child labor before the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. House of Representatives to advocate that the World Bank include a policy against child labor in its lending policies. On October 21, 1999, she testified before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U. S. Senate, in favor of the ILO Convention (No.182) for Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor.
Mrs. Remington holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, and a Doctorate in French Literature from the University of Paris, Sorbonne. She has written numerous articles on child labor, which have been published in India, Japan, and the United States. In addition, in 1996 she participated in an Expert's Seminar on "Children's Rights, Housing and Neighborhood" in preparation for the United Nations Conference Habitat II.
Mrs. Remington's work for FORGOTTEN CHILDREN is voluntary and without compensation. Professionally, she has been a high school teacher for many years and currently teaches French at the Washington International School. She has dual citizenship in France and the United States. She and her husband, Michael J. Remington, are the proud parents of three adopted children from India, two of whom came from an orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity led by Mother Teresa.