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 1231 - 1240 of 1759

Browse Other Topics

Country Care Review: Guyana

Better Care Network , 05 Feb 2013

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination during the sixty-second session (14 January- 1 February 2013) of Guyana’s combined second, third and fourth period reports to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

Protect my future: The links between child protection and good governance

Ghazal Keshavarzian, 01 Feb 2013

This paper is part of an inter-agency series on the links between child protection and major development goals. The report focuses on the links between child protection and good governance as they relate to the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals development agenda.

Skillful Parenting and Molding Behavior at an Early Age: Bridging the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do

Parenting in Africa Network for the Ultimate Protection of Children , 01 Feb 2013

This new study by Parenting in Africa Network (PAN) was conducted in three regions in Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa and Busia), involving primary care givers of children age 0-8, children participating in Early Childhood Development and Education centers, and stakeholders and professionals involved in skillful parenting and early childhood development.

Nepal: Kinship Care at Community is Better Model to Ensure Psychosocial and Economic Security of Orphans Living with HIV than from Care Homes

Acharya SL, Pokhrel BR, Ayer R, Belbase P, Ghimire M, Gurung O, 29 Jan 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate which model of care and support is more appropriate for improving psychosocial and economic security of AIDS orphans in Nepal.

Country Care Review: Niue

Better Care Network , 29 Jan 2013

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination during the sixty-second session (14 January- 1 February 2013) of Niue’s initial report to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

Country Care Reviews: Burkina Faso

Better Care Network , 25 Jan 2013

Care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the initial report of Burkina Faso under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Country Care Review: USA

Better Care Network , 24 Jan 2013

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination of the United States of America’ second periodic report under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

Turning away from the public sector in children's out-of-home care: An English experiment

Nicky Stanley, Helen Austerberry, Andy Bilson, Nicola Farrelly, Shereen Hussein, Cath Larkins, Jill Manthorpe, Julie Ridley - Children and Youth Services Review, 02 Jan 2013

This paper reports on the evaluation of an English experiment which, for the first time, moved statutory social work support for children and young people in out-of-home care from the public to the private or independent sector.

View Article

Child Protection Australia 2011-12

Australian Government - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013

This document is the 16th annual report on child protection in Australia. The report includes detailed statistical information on child protection services provided on the state and territory level as well as demographic and background information on the children receiving services.

LEGE Nr. 140: privind protecţia specială a copiilor aflaţi în situaţie de risc şi a copiilor separaţi de părinţi

Republic of Moldova, 2013

This document present the law on the special protection of children in need at risk and children separated from their parents for Moldova.