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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Modern slavery and global supply chains: Interim report of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade's inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade - Commonwealth of Australia, 17 Aug 2017

This interim report from the Parliament of Australia's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade presents its recommendations on the adoption of a Modern Slavery Act in Australia, with consideration to the trafficking, forced labor and child exploitation through orphanage tourism.

Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action

Naomi Nichols; Kaitlin Schwan; Stephen Gaetz; Melanie Redman; David French; Sean A. Kidd; Bill O'Grady - Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press, 09 Aug 2017

A recent Canadian study on youth homelessness revealed that youth experiencing homelessness are 193 times more likely to report interactions with the child welfare system. This policy brief offers a snapshot of the situation for homeless youth with experience in care, an analysis of the structures and systems leaving these children behind, and recommendations for policy and practice.

НАЦІОНАЛЬНА СТРАТЕГІЯ реформування системи інституційного догляду та виховання дітей на 2017-2026 роки (Ukraine National Strategy on Reform of the Institutional Care System 2017-2026)

Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, 09 Aug 2017

Цю Стратегію розроблено з метою зміни існуючої системи інституційного догляду та виховання дітей, яка не відповідає реальним потребам дітей та сімей з дітьми, і створення умов для повноцінного виховання та розвитку дитини в сім’ї.

Programa de acompañamiento a jóvenes sin cuidados parentales

Derecho fácil, Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, 08 Aug 2017

Este recurso describe Ley 27.364 de Argentina, Programa de acompañamiento a jóvenes sin cuidados parentales.

Care-criminalisation: The involvement of children in out-of-home care in the New South Wales criminal justice system

Kath McFarlane - Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 08 Aug 2017

This article describes the findings of a four-year study with a cohort of children in out-of-home care in New South Wales and their experiences with the criminal justice system.

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Child Maltreatment and Prevention Practices in Chinese Orphanages

Xiaoyuan Shang & Karen R. Fisher - Child Maltreatment in Residential Care, 03 Aug 2017

This chapter of Child Maltreatment in Residential Care describes the progression of changes in China's child care and protection policies to reduce the use of institutional care for children and increase efforts toward family strengthening and family-based models of alternative care.

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Best Practices for Residential/Institutional/Group Care of Children: A Harm Reduction Framework

Victor Groza & Kelley McCreery Bunkers - Child Maltreatment in Residential Care, 03 Aug 2017

This paper utilizes a harm-reduction framework to present best practices for improving residential care and reducing the negative effects residential care can have on children's development.

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Child Maltreatment in Residential Centers: Summing Up

Adrian V. Rus, Sheri R. Parris, Ecaterina Stativa, and Cosmin O. Popa - Child Maltreatment in Residential Care, 03 Aug 2017

This paper is the final chapter of Child Maltreatment in Residential Care, summarizing and analyzing the research presented on child maltreatment in institutions, its impact on children, and prevention and intervention strategies.

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Child Maltreatment in Residential Care: History, Research, and Current Practice

Adrian V. Rus, Sheri R. Parris, and Ecaterina Stativa - Springer, 03 Aug 2017

The 24 chapters of this book contain research examining the institutionalization of children, child abuse and neglect in residential care, and interventions preventing and responding to violence against children living in out-of-home care settings around the world.

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Child Neglect in Guyana

ChildLinK with support from Guyana Childcare & Protection Agency, the European Union and Family for Every Child, 01 Aug 2017

This study, commissioned by ChildLinK, critically examines the factors of child neglect by caregivers in Guyana and offers recommendations for key stakeholders across various disciplines.