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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Fixing America’s Foster Care System is Possible (Rafael López Talks How)

Lisa Hamilton, Annie E. Casey Foundation, 29 May 2017

In this podcast episode, Annie E. Casey Foundation's Lisa Hamilton interviews Rafael López — the managing director of Accenture’s health and public services practice — about the challenges and opportunities for change in the American child welfare system.

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Country Care Review: Jordan

Better Care Network, 18 May 2017

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 as part of their examinations of the periodic reports of Jordan.

Country Care Review: Canada

Better Care Network , 08 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 Mar 2017 – 12 Apr 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Cyprus

Better Care Network , 08 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 March 2017 - 12 April 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Armenia

Better Care Network, 08 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 March 2017 - 12 April 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Honduras

Better Care Network, 04 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 March 2017 - 12 April 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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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Introduction: Kinship Care Policy and Practice: (First Issue)

Mark F. Testa - Child Welfare Journal, 01 May 2017

The purpose of this introduction of the Special Issue on Kinship Care of the Child Welfare Journal is to offer a conceptual framework for addressing the challenges involved in developing a coherent set of policies and practices with respect to kinship care in the US.

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New Directions for Kinship Care Policy and Practice: A Position Paper from the Kinship Summit at Albany, New York, September 2016

Kerry Littlewood - Child Welfare Journal, 01 May 2017

University at Albany, New York State Kinship Navigator, and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) formed a collaborative partnership to plan and host a Kinship Care Summit in Albany, New York in September 2016. The Summit included presentations by authors of kinship manuscripts that were accepted for this Special Issue on Kinship Care of the Child Welfare Journal.

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