In this Call to Action, Transform Alliance Africa urges Africa’s regional bodies, governments, donors and civil society organizations to reinforce their individual and collective efforts to respond to the needs of children in, or at risk of entering, alternative care in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
The document calls attention to the following issues, as highlighted in the Technical Note on the Protection of Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Children and Alternative Care:
- Separation and abandonment of children
- Children in institutions exposed to COVID-19
- Child protection workers not listed as essential service providers
- Poor safeguarding and monitoring of institutionalized children
- Moving children from institutions to families without support and preparation
- Lack of or inadequate support to care leavers
The document then calls on African governments to:
- Support and strengthen families and communities
- Enhance monitoring and oversight mechanisms at community level
- Protect and support children in institutions
- Identify child protection workers as essential staff
- Support young people who are leaving or have left care
- Stop sudden closures of institutions
- Re-orient and re-align care and protection systems towards care reform
- Prioritize workers in child protection and children in congregate care in vaccination campaigns
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