Social Welfare Systems While multiple parties may provide social services for children, the Government has overall responsibility to ensure that essential child protection services are provided and coordinated. A large part of a social welfare system should focus on prevention of child separation through targeted support to families, both financial and otherwise. A social welfare system must also provide appropriate alternative care for children who cannot be cared for in their biological families. Read More Organisations that provide child care must ensure that services are delivered to meet the developmental needs of the child and that staff are trained in child protection procedures. All forms of care, whether in a foster family or residential facility, must be subject to appropriate standards, and adequate provisions must be made for their implementation. The Better Care Network advocates for the provision of sound social welfare systems to enable families to remain together and to protect children in whatever care arrangement they are in. The documents in this section provide examples of child care legislation and protection policies, and guidance on mechanisms for improving social welfare systems ,e.g. the use of monitoring tools, and the development of social work training. Child Care and Protection Policies Child care and protection policies regulate the care of children, including good practice guidelines for the implementation of services, and… Explore Standards of Care Standards of care are approved criteria for measuring and monitoring the management, provision and quality of child care services and their outcomes Explore Data and Monitoring Tools Monitoring and research are essential processes in ensuring the relevance and effectiveness of programs Explore Cost of Care and Redirection of Resources The literature in this section focuses on budget and cost analysis pertaining to children’s care Explore Social Protection Policies and Programmes Social assistance programmes aim to reduce child poverty and act as a safety net for families with minimal resources Explore Child Care and Protection System Reforms Social welfare sector reform is increasingly common, particularly in transitional countries in Central and Eastern Europe Explore Non-Formal Mechanisms for Children's Care and Protection The resources in this section focus on non-formal mechanisms to respond to the situations of children who are without adequate family care Explore Social Service Workforce Strengthening This section includes documentation of social service workforce strengthening, including regulation, trainings and tools Explore
