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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Country Care Review: Mexico

Better Care Network, 08 Jun 2015

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Country Care Review: Netherlands

Better Care Network, 08 Jun 2015

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

A Few More Comments on the Establishment and Operation of Baby Boxes in the Czech Republic

Karel Attl - Journal of Nursing, Social Studies, Public Health and Rehabilitation, 06 Jun 2015

In this article, the author offers a response to the recommendations made to the government of the Czech Republic by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Illuminating Change: Ten Years of Measuring the Care and Protection of Children

USAID and CPC Learning Network, 02 Jun 2015

On June 2, 2015, the USAID Center on Children in Adversity/Displaced Children and Orphans Fund hosted a panel discussion event with the CPC Learning Network to mark the tenth anniversary of the Network.

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The place of residential care in the English child welfare system: Research report

Di Hart and Ivana La Valle (University of East London) with Lisa Holmes (CCfR, Loughborough University) - Department for Education, 01 Jun 2015

This rapid review of the literature on residential care for looked-after children in the UK aims to describe the use of residential care for children within the child welfare systems of England and other relevant countries; review the evidence on children’s outcomes from residential care; and review the quality of the evidence and identify gaps in the evidence base in order to inform future research priorities.

The Children Act 1989 (UK) Guidance and Regulations Volume 2: Care Planning, Placement and Case Review

HM Government, UK, 01 Jun 2015

Volume 2 of the Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations provides guidance, primarily addressed to local authorities and their staff in England, about their functions under Part 3 of the Children Act 1989 which concerns the provision of local authority support for children and families. In particular it describes how local authorities should carry out their responsibilities in relation to care planning, placement and case review for looked after children.

Child Protection Index Georgia 2015: Measuring the Fulfillment of a Child’s Rights

Andy Guth and Jocelyn Penner Hall - The Georgian Coalition for Child and Youth Welfare (GCCYW), The Coalition for Child and Youth Welfare, ChildPact, World Vision, 01 Jun 2015

The Child Protection Index (the Index) is a comparative policy tool, organised and implemented by local and national level civil society organisations, that examines a country’s current child protection system using a common set of 626 indicators that measure a country’s policy and actions toward greater child protection. This Index measures Georgia’s efforts toward child protection in comparison with other countries in the region.

Most Vulnerable Children: World Vision UK Programme Inclusion and Impact

Dr. Philip Cook, Rebeccah Nelems and Dr. Mike Wessells - World Vision UK , 01 Jun 2015

The purpose of the research highlighted in this report was to assess and analyze the extent to which World Vision UK is reaching ‘the most poor and marginalised’ or Most Vulnerable Children (MVC) through its Child Protection programming in Cambodia, Tanzania, and Eastern DRC.

Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 01 Jun 2015

In this executive summary, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada provides an introduction to the use of residential schools for aboriginal children in Canada, presents an overview of the Commission’s activities, describes the history and legacy of these residential schools, and outlines the challenges of reconciliation, including 94 recommendations, or “calls to action” for reconciliation in the field of Child Welfare among many others.

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Child Protection Index Moldova 2015: Measuring the Fulfillment of a Child’s Rights

Andy Guth and Jocelyn Penner Hall - The Georgian Coalition for Child and Youth Welfare (GCCYW), The Coalition for Child and Youth Welfare, ChildPact, World Vision, 01 Jun 2015

The Child Protection Index (the Index) is a comparative policy tool, organised and implemented by local and national level civil society organisations, that examines a country’s current child protection system using a common set of 626 indicators that measure a country’s policy and actions toward greater child protection. This Index measures Moldova’s efforts toward child protection in comparison with other countries in the region.