BCN brings together information on family strengthening and alternative care through the world's leading library of resources and a newsletter reaching thousands of practitioners, policy makers, researchers, and other key actors in over 190 countries.  Since its creation in 2003, BCN has also played an influential role in promoting care issues by producing research and practical tools, providing technical guidance at national and global levels, convening international care conferences and contributing to the development of care standards such as the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.

BCN works through partnerships with care actors across the globe, and has developed a number of key initiatives to support children without adequate care. It acts as a global convenor, facilitating the Transforming Children's Care global collaborative which brings together a wide community of actors working to strengthen children’s care and care systems to establish more strategic sector-wide collaboration spanning the global to the local level.