This Evidence Brief provides an overview of the systematic review. The systematic review focuses on protection interventions for UASC in humanitarian crises in low and middle income countries or in proximate countries of asylum since 1983 and seeks to examine the impact of protection interventions on unaccompanied and separated children, during the period of separation, in humanitarian crises in low and middle income countries.
There is evidence to suggest that scale of separation in conflict is greater than the scale of separation in natural disasters. Research suggests increase in rates of reunification over time.
In regards to care, outcomes of children living in residential care were mixed. Outcomes of children living in foster care were generally, but not consistently, positive.
“Further research is needed to:
– understand what aspects of both formal and informal foster care are critical to bring about positive outcomes for UASC in humanitarian contexts
– compare the outcomes of formal and informal foster care versus residential care in humanitarian contexts.”
