Symposium on the State of the Evidence on Children’s Care

On the 24th September, 2014 Better Care Network and the CPC Learning Network organized a one day symposium entitled "The State of the Evidence on Children’s Care" at McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, New York University. The symposium topics were clustered around three specific areas of issues related to children’s care:

  • Efforts to measure trends in families and children’s care and living arrangements;

  • Initiatives to measure the impact of policies and programs to strengthen families and to ensure children’s ability to be raised in a family environment; and,

  • Measurement of situations and outcomes concerning children outside of family care and children in alternative care arrangements.

The symposium brought together a number of leading academics, policy makers and practitioners involved in the development or implementation of key initiatives to better measure issues of children’s care at country, regional or international levels. The symposium provided an important opportunity for collaboration and learning across initiatives to help those working to strengthen care for children to develop a more informed and cohesive picture of the research agenda on this critical aspect of children’s protection and well-being. Taken together, the symposium’s presentations and ensuing discussions represent some of the most recent learning on children’s care issues, and the organizers will collate the symposium’s proceedings in a special issue of a relevant academic journal. 

Panel 1: Measuring Trends in Families and Children’s Care and Living Arrangements 

Moderated by: Mark Canavera, Associate Director of the CPC Learning Network

Presentations by: 

Panel 2: Measuring the Impact of Family Strengthening and Prevention of Separation Interventions 

Moderated by: Mary McKay, Director of the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, Professor of Social Work at New York University 

Presentations by: 

Panel 3: Measuring Situations and Outcomes Concerning Children outside Family Care and Children in Alternative Care Arrangements

Moderated by: John Williamson, Senior Technical Advisor, Displaced Children and Orphans Fund, USAID,

Presentations by: 

The State of the Evidence on Children's Care