Child Care and Protection System Reforms

Social welfare sector reform is increasingly common, particularly in transitional countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Increasing attention has been paid to the development of preventive community based child and family welfare programs that would, in coordination with health and education programs and social assistance, provide a range of support for vulnerable families.

Recognition of the damaging effects of institutional care on children and its high cost has influenced governments to redirect resources towards alternative family and community-based care practices such as kinship care, fostering, and adoption. Redirecting resources in the context of social welfare reforms requires a commitment from governments to provide adequate financing for effective policy implementation.

Funding availability raises a variety of issues regarding the level and type of support to be provided, the private or public management of services, and the entitlement process. Social welfare should protect the rights of children and their caretakers via fair and clear criteria of support provisions, with transparent procedures for the effective allocation of services.

Social welfare reforms to protect and support children and families need to be built on legal protections and child care policies which reflect the same child centred goals. Alternative forms of community based care, combined with social reintegration programmes and family support services, must be developed to reduce the use of institutions and enable children leaving institutions to rejoin their communities.

The resources in this section focus on country initiatives in reforming their social welfare sector to finance community based care developments.

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Assessment of Capacity to Manage Alternative Care in Swaziland - DRAFT

John Parry-Williams, 31 Dec 2008

Country level evaluation of contributing factors to the establishment of an alternative care system.

Children and AIDS: Third Stocktaking Report

UNICEF, 01 Dec 2008

Examines data on progress, emerging evidence, and current knowledge and practice for children as they relate to four programme areas

Assessment of Capacity to Manage Alternative Care in Malawi - DRAFT

John-Parry Williams, 01 Dec 2008

Country level evaluation of contributing factors to the establishment of an alternative care system.

Social Work Education and the Practice Environment in Europe & Eurasia

United States Agency for International Development, 30 Nov 2008

The purpose of this study is to inform stakeholders about the current status of social work in the region, describe the practice environment, identify gaps between what is expected of social workers and the reality, provide examples of best practices, and make recommendations for furthering the development of social work in the region.

The African Report on Child Wellbeing 2008: How child-friendly are African governments?

African Child Policy Forum, 01 Nov 2008

Assessment of individual African government's performance in regards to child welfare.

Perspectives for Social Protection in West and Central Africa

Anthony Hodges, UNICEF, 01 Oct 2008

Assesses constraints and opportunities for social protection programming regionally with particular consideration for child sensitive social protection.

Rights of Children in Institutions

Council of Europe, 05 Aug 2008

This report provides an assessment of the current situation with regards to rights of children in institutions in 42 Council of Europe member states.

Mapping of Residential Care Institutions in Sierra Leone

UNICEF, 01 Aug 2008

Mapping of existing facilities caring for children in residential capacity for use in developing child protection standards

Assessment of Procedural and Physical Standards in Children's Residential Care Institutions in Guyana: Summary and Recommendations

01 Aug 2008

Examines the capacity of childcare institutions and the monitoring and reintegration meausures necessary to ensure child safety in such.

Adopting the Rights of a Child: A Study on Intercountry Adoption and its Influence on Child Protection in Nepal

Terre des Hommes Foundation and UNICEF, 01 Aug 2008

Evaluates the need for reform within Nepal's intercountry adoption programming and the broader needs within the child protection and alternative care arenas nationally.