Child Care and Protection Policies

Child care and protection policies regulate the care of children, including the type of support and assistance to be offered, good practice guidelines for the implementation of services, standards for care, and adequate provisions for implementation. They relate to the care a child receives at and away from home.

States and all organisations with child care programmes should have child care policies which are in line with national legislation and international law, e.g. the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In line with the CRC, emphasis should be placed on the child’s best interests, with support to families prioritised in order to prevent family separation. Good gatekeeping mechanisms are essential in ensuring families receive the services they need and are entitled to, and to guard against inappropriate placement into poor care arrangements.

Home-based care, day care, and other family support services are mechanisms for assisting families in providing for the child’s development and, when used appropriately, can prevent child separation. When a child is unable to remain at home, alternative forms of community based care should be prioritised, such as formal kinship care or foster care. The use of institutions should be highlighted as a last and temporary measure. All support and care provisions should outline the referral and admission process, the use of care plans, regular reviews, rehabilitation, and aftercare procedures.

Child protection legislation which recognises that abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, and may be carried out by parents, caretakers, children and other adults is required. All agencies working with children should have written child protection policies which respect the rights of the child. Policies should outline behaviours and actions which are unacceptable, provide standards for the appropriate care of children, and clear guidelines on what procedures to follow and by whom, including reporting mechanisms for suspected abuse to an assigned authority for investigation.

Child care and protection policies require resources and monitoring of standards to ensure their appropriate implementation. Adequate provision and training of child care and social work staff is required to deliver family support services and alternatives forms of child care. All staff working with children should be trained and supervised in providing appropriate care for children, identifying abuse, and responding appropriately.

The literature in this section contains country reports and examples of national and organisational child care and protection policies.

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Intercountry Adoption, Countries of Origin, and Biological Families

Riitta Högbacka, 01 Dec 2014

This report discusses concerns raised by participants of Thematic Area 2 (Intercountry Adoption, Countries of Origin, and Biological Families) of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy held in August 2014.

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The Case for Population Based Tracking of Outcomes for Children Toward a Public Health Approach in Child Protection System Strengthening

Michael Wessells - Columbia University , 01 Dec 2014

The purpose of this paper is to suggest the value of tracking population-based outcomes for children as a key component of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of a national child protection system.

Executive Summary of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy

Kristen E. Cheney , 01 Dec 2014

This executive summary is the first document in a series of six reports, from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University (ISS), about the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy, held in August 2014.

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Global Surrogacy Practices

Marcy Darnovsky and Diane Beeson , 01 Dec 2014

This report summarises discussions of participants in Thematic Area 5 (Global Surrogacy Practices) of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy held in August 2014.

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Study on Legal Guardianship and Adoption Practices in Uganda

Dr. Hope Among - UNICEF & The Republic of Uganda, 01 Dec 2014

This study on legal guardianship and adoption practices in Uganda was designed to explore and get insight into current care practices.

A study on reintegration of street children in Burundi: experienced violence and maltreatment are associated with mental health impairments and impeded educational progress

Anselm Crombach, Manassé Bambonyé and Thomas Elbert - Frontiers in Psychology, 01 Dec 2014

This article outlines findings from research on current and former street children in Burundi, that assesses the extent to which violence can affect children’s mental well-being and psychological functioning, and thus limit their reintegration.

Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family

United Nations General Assembly , 20 Nov 2014

A brief revised draft resolution from the UN General Assembly on the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and its recognition of the continued importance of “giving due consideration to advancing family policy development in the ongoing discussion on the post-2015 development agenda.”

Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014

United Nations General Assembly Economic and Social Council , 18 Nov 2014

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/136. The report focuses on the initiatives and activities by Member States and other relevant stakeholders in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, at all levels, and on recent family policy developments.

Alternative Care of Children in the Republic of Azerbaijan

The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 13 Nov 2014

This report is prepared within the MONEE project of UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS. It provides an overview of alternative care in Azerbaijan.

Preventive Measures for Reducing the Placement of Children in Institutional Care - Croatia

Republic of Croatia Ministry of Social Policy and Youth, 10 Nov 2014

On 10 September 2014, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria co-hosted a high level Lunchtime Discussion on The right of children below three years to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The discussion took place on the margins of the September meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board and brought together over 80 participants, including members of the UNICEF Executive Board, representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN from the CEE/CIS region, international organizations, NGOs, high level UNICEF and National Committee staff. Representatives from Croatia presented on preventing institutionalization of children.