BACKGROUND
The guidelines have been developed from the experience of stakeholders in Child Protection sector in handling cases of children in need of care and protection over the recent past. In particular, a participatory process between Department of Children’s Services and other partners in Child Protection sector from Busia County helped conceive the guidelines from 2012. The experience of Department of Children Services and other child protection actors working in the community has also contributed to the development of these case management and referral guidelines. It is however important to mention that a concrete framework is only achievable through collaborative effort of all other players in the child protection field.
These guidelines are part of experience sharing among partners in child protection and are intended to support the collaborative processes among the government and non -governmental agencies. Community based systems for child protection are however the most sustainable and should be well built and managed. This cannot be overemphasized. The guidelines focus on case management and service delivery to children in need of care and protection, and how to link them with the help they need. These guidelines are based on the key principle that a partnership and multi-sectoral approach and joint planning by all stakeholders in child protection are imperative to building collaborative practice. This process allows for an ongoing dialogue where case management updates can be shared thus contributing to accurate diagnosis and intervention planning for children in need of care and protection
The guidelines for Case Management and Referral for Child Protection Systems in Kenya is a reference material to guide different actors on how to carry out comprehensive case management and referral and defines the role of the government, civil society organizations, the communities, the family and the child to complement each other.
These guidelines are not to be used in isolation but together with international, regional and national legal frameworks dealing with children. It provides appropriate tools for case management and referral.
