Verification and Family Reunification

Separated and unaccompanied children are at a greater risk of abuse and exploitation, and are less likely to have their basic rights to health, education, and psychosocial well-being met. It is the responsibility of protection organisations and the government to ensure that such children are identified, documented, their circumstances assessed, and active efforts made to reunite them with their parents or normal guardians as quickly as possible.

All separated children and caretakers searching for family members should be registered. Where possible, immediate efforts should be made to quickly reunite children. They should be documented in order to begin tracing activities. If an adult says he or she is an immediate or extended family member of a child, the relationship should be verified before reunification is carried out. Children may have to stay in emergency care placements until family members are located and screened, however they should be reunited at the earliest opportunity.

Verification activities are vital for the protection of children. In some cases children may falsely claim separation in order to receive benefits, adults may identify the wrong child, or reunification may not be in the best interests of the child. In the chaos and distress in an emergency situation, verification becomes an essential step in safe family reunification. All verification and reunification activities must follow international standards and government policies, and require coordination among the agencies involved.

Reunification with family members should take into account the wider community context, to ensure the child will be welcomed and to prevent future separation. This may include family mediation, community sensitization, and/or particular services to help ensure acceptance and enable families to provide adequate care. It is also appropriate to involve community leaders and/or child protection groups to monitor a child’s safety and well-being after reunification. All placements with caretakers who are not immediate family members should involve careful screening and be monitored until satisfactory integration is assured. For children who are not able to be reunited with relatives, a longer term care plan will be needed.

The materials in this section include verification forms, country examples and good practice guidance for reunifying separated children with their families.

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Child Protection Services Needed During Armed Conflicts

Murli Desai - Rights-based Integrated Child Protection Service Delivery Systems, 18 Sep 2019

The aim of this module from the book Rights-based Integrated Child Protection Service Delivery Systems is to learn about the child protection services needed during armed conflicts.

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Children in Specific Emergency Situations and Need for Child Protection Services

Murli Desai - Rights-based Integrated Child Protection Service Delivery Systems, 18 Sep 2019

The aim of this module from the book Rights-based Integrated Child Protection Service Delivery Systems is to learn about children in specific situations of emergency and the need for Integrated Child Protection Centres to provide rights-based services for them at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention.

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Stop the War on Children: Protecting Children in 21st Century Conflict

George Graham, Mariam Kirollos, Gunvor Knag Fylkesnes, Keyan Salarkia and Nikki Wong - Save the Children, 2019

This report from Save the Children provides an overview of the impacts of armed conflict on children, the efforts that Save the Children and others are making to address the needs of children affected by armed conflict, and a series of recommendations for governments and others.

Hannah Has a New Job

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 27 Jul 2018

This short video was designed for newly hired child protection in humanitarian action (CPHA) staff, as well as child protection staff who want to learn more about working in emergency settings - and the CPMS in particular.

Realising the right to family reunification of refugees in Europe

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, 01 Jun 2017

This issue paper examines family reunification for refugees as a pressing human rights issue, advising states to re-examine their laws, policies and practices relating to family reunification for refugees.

A child is a child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation

UNICEF, 01 May 2017

Among the millions of children on the move worldwide, many – including hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children and adolescents – undertake dangerous journeys. This report shows how the lack of safe and legal pathways for refugee and migrant children feeds a booming market for human smuggling and puts them at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. Building on recent UNICEF policy proposals, it sets out ways that governments can better protect these vulnerable children.

Field Handbook on Unaccompanied and Separated Children

Sarah Uppard and Lili Birnbaum - Inter-agency Working Group on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, 22 Mar 2017

This handbook offers comprehensive practical guidance on working with unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in emergency settings.

Toolkit on Unaccompanied and Separated Children

Sarah Uppard and Lili Birnbaum - Inter-agency Working Group on Unaccompanied and Separated Children, 22 Mar 2017

The Toolkit on Unaccompanied and Separated Children compiles 56 tools for the use of practitioners working with unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).

Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Sudan

Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Sudan - UN Security Council, 06 Mar 2017

The present report was submitted to the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict and focuses on the trends and patterns of the six categories of grave violations committed against children.

Evidence Brief: The Impact of Protection Interventions on Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Humanitarian Crises

Williamson, K., Gupta, P., Gillespie, L.A., Shannon, H. and Landis, D. – Oxfam, 03 Mar 2017

This Evidence Brief provides an overview of the systematic review.