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.

Displaying 1141 - 1150 of 1759

Browse Other Topics

International approaches to child protection: What can Australia learn?

Rhys Price-Robertson, Leah Bromfield and Alister Lamont - Australian Institute of Family Studies, Commonwealth of Australia, 2014

This paper offers a broad overview of some of the main approaches to child protection used internationally. Using examples from Canada, Sweden, Belgium and the Gaza Strip, it offers policy-makers the chance to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, as well as how these examples might be used to inspire improvements within the Australian context.

Drumming Together for Change: A Child’s Right to Quality Care in Sub-Saharan Africa

SOS Children’s Villages, Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, University of Malawi, 2014

This report is based on a synthesis of eight assessments of the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (“the Guidelines”) in Benin, Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

View Report

Child Welfare Policies, Services And Their Aptitude For Care And Protection Of Vulnerable Children And Their Families

Project EDU-CARE, Department of Social Work at St. Xavier's College, 2014

The Technical Team under the Project “EDU-CARE: Social Operators Active in the Protection of the Children and in the Promotion of the Children’s Rights in Nepal” reports on the child care practices, policies, and programs currently in effect in the country.

Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014

World Health Organization , 2014

This report from the World Health Organization provides an overview of the progress countries have made in implementing the recommendations set out in the World Report on Violence and Health in 2002.

A Solid Investment: Integrating Children Without Parental Care into the Post-2015 Development Framework

SOS Children’s Villages, 2014

In this paper, SOS Children’s Villages demonstrates how children who lack or are at risk of losing parental care are highly vulnerable to various forms of poverty and inequality. The paper proposes operational strategies for action as well as targets and indicators designed to monitor progress among these children.

HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 434: privind aprobarea Strategiei pentru protecţia copilului pe anii 2014-2020

Republic of Moldova, 2014

În scopul implementării prevederilor Convenţiei internaţionale cu privire la drepturile copilului, adoptate de Adunarea Generală a Organizaţiei Naţiunilor Unite la 22 noiembrie 1989, la care Republica Moldova a aderat prin Hotărîrea Parlamentului

View Strategy

The Revised Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): A Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government – Civil Society Partnership - India

Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India, 2014

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of India outlines, and contributes to the implementation of, the Government’s responsibility to establish an effective and efficient child protection system.

Lluís Flaquer - Handbook of Child Well-Being, 2014

The purpose of this integrative chapter on well-being and the family is to present the analysis of a number of family-based factors that can influence child well-being.

View Article

MenCare Sri Lanka Short Film

MenCare Sri Lanka, 2014

This moving short film (7 mins) produced by MenCare examines the circumstance of one man who found himself as the primary caregiver to his children when his female partner moved abroad for work.

View Video

Myanmar: Kinship Care Handbook

Jane Calder and Bep Van Sloten, 31 Dec 2013

This Handbook aims to provide guidance for Save the Children staff, NGO partners, Community Child Protection Groups and community volunteers in Myanmar in protecting the welfare of children living with extended family members.