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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A Kinship Navigator Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Support Private and Voluntary Kinship Caregivers

Rushovich, Berenice R.; Murray, Kantahyanee W.; Woodruff, Kristen; Freeman, Pamela Clarkson - Child Welfare Journal, 01 May 2017

This article from the Special Issue on Kinship Care of the Child Welfare Journal explores the Family Connections Discretionary Grant Program in the US.

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From the Editor: The Apple Tree Has Many Healthy Apples: Kinship Caregiving

Gary Mallon - Child Welfare Journal, 01 May 2017

This special issue focuses on the much larger number of kinship caregivers, who either intervene on their own or accept the assistance of child protective authorities that facilitate informal arrangements without taking legal custody.

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Children and Social Work Act 2017 Chapter 16

United Kingdom, 01 Apr 2017

This Act was enacted by the government of the United Kingdom "to make provision about looked after children; to make other provision in relation to the welfare of children; and to make provision about the regulation of social workers."

Preventing Unnecessary Loss of Parental or Family Care in Brazil, Guyana, India, South Africa, and Russia

Joanna Rogers - Family for Every Child, 01 Apr 2017

This report presents the findings from a study that aimed to explore the application in practice of the ‘necessity principle’ from the Guidelines on Alternative Care for Children (UN, 2009) by using three quantitative and three qualitative indicators that provide information about whether children and families have received support to the fullest extent possible before a child ends up outside of parental care arrangements in formal or informal care, or living alone.

“Let me be me!” Better Care for LGBTI* Children: A Working Paper for iNGOs

Ise Bosch, Eva-Maria Hilgarth, Sarah Blakemore, Amani Njogu, Nguyen Van Hue, Karin Demuth – Dreilinden, 01 Apr 2017

Dreilinden produced this working paper to improve practice in the area of *LGBTI children in care. This paper has texts in a variety of formats from around the world and contains three sections that cover research and tools, interviews, and practice examples.

Declaration: For the Human Rights of Children

Defense for Children International, 07 Mar 2017

This Declaration from the International General Assembly of Defense for Children International (DCI) specifies global, thematic and issues of concern.

How Collaboration, Early Engagement and Collective Ownership Increase Research Impact: Strengthening Community-based Child Protection Mechanisms In Sierra Leone

Michael Wessells, David Lamin, Marie Manyeh, Dora King, Lindsay Stark, Sarah Lilley and Kathleen Kostelny, 06 Mar 2017

Using inter-agency action research in Sierra Leone, this chapter provides a case study on how a highly collaborative approach can enable child protection research to achieve a significant national impact.

Ending violence in childhood: A global imperative

A. K. Shiva Kumar et al. - Psychology, Health and Medicine, 01 Mar 2017

This editorial explores the experience and impact of childhood violence around the world and calls for a coordinated and multi-sectoral response to prevent violence, recognizing the need to identify and address the root causes of family separation and institutionalization.

Desinternar, sí. Pero ¿cómo?: Controversias para comprender y transformar las propuestas institucionales de protección a la infancia y la adolescencia

Diego Silva Balerio y Pablo Domínguez Collette - UNICEF Uruguay y La Barca, 01 Mar 2017

En esta publicación, a partir de la experiencia de trabajo y la reflexión sobre su propia práctica, La Barca ordena, sistematiza y pone a disposición de todos los actores del sistema de protección a la infancia de Uruguay los principales aprendizajes de la tarea realizada en los últimos años.

Country Care Review: Central African Republic

Better Care Network, 03 Feb 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.