Child Care and Protection Policies

Child care and protection policies regulate the care of children, including the type of support and assistance to be offered, good practice guidelines for the implementation of services, standards for care, and adequate provisions for implementation. They relate to the care a child receives at and away from home.

States and all organisations with child care programmes should have child care policies which are in line with national legislation and international law, e.g. the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In line with the CRC, emphasis should be placed on the child’s best interests, with support to families prioritised in order to prevent family separation. Good gatekeeping mechanisms are essential in ensuring families receive the services they need and are entitled to, and to guard against inappropriate placement into poor care arrangements.

Home-based care, day care, and other family support services are mechanisms for assisting families in providing for the child’s development and, when used appropriately, can prevent child separation. When a child is unable to remain at home, alternative forms of community based care should be prioritised, such as formal kinship care or foster care. The use of institutions should be highlighted as a last and temporary measure. All support and care provisions should outline the referral and admission process, the use of care plans, regular reviews, rehabilitation, and aftercare procedures.

Child protection legislation which recognises that abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, and may be carried out by parents, caretakers, children and other adults is required. All agencies working with children should have written child protection policies which respect the rights of the child. Policies should outline behaviours and actions which are unacceptable, provide standards for the appropriate care of children, and clear guidelines on what procedures to follow and by whom, including reporting mechanisms for suspected abuse to an assigned authority for investigation.

Child care and protection policies require resources and monitoring of standards to ensure their appropriate implementation. Adequate provision and training of child care and social work staff is required to deliver family support services and alternatives forms of child care. All staff working with children should be trained and supervised in providing appropriate care for children, identifying abuse, and responding appropriately.

The literature in this section contains country reports and examples of national and organisational child care and protection policies.

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Child Welfare and Child Protection: An Introduction

David Royse and Austin Griffiths, 2020

This book prepares future child welfare professionals to tackle the complex and challenging work associated with responding to child maltreatment.

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You Have the Right to Care and Protection! The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in Child and Youth Friendly Language

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

Marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, this booklet from SOS Children's Villages International informs children and young people about their right to live in a supportive family environment in accordance with the Guidelines.

Tu as droit à une protection et une prise en charge! Les Lignes directrices relatives à la protection de remplacement pour les enfants, adaptées aux enfants et aux jeunes

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

¡Tienes derecho al cuidado y a la protección! Directrices sobre las modalidades alternativas de cuidado de los niños en versión infantil y juvenil

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

En conmemoración del décimo aniversario de la adopción de las Directrices sobre las modalidades alternativas de cuidado de los niños, este folleto de Aldeas Infantiles SOS Internacional informa a los niños, niñas y jóvenes sobre su derecho a vivir en un entorno familiar de acuerdo con las Directrices.

Adolescents in Child Welfare Systems

Roger J. R. Levesque - Adolescents and Constitutional Law, 12 Oct 2019

This chapter examines how the competing goals of child welfare systems work with the developments in constitutional rights.

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The Family Matters Report 2019

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, 01 Oct 2019

The Family Matters report sets out what governments are doing to turn the tide on over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care in Australia and the outcomes for children and their families.

The Family Matters Report 2019 Cover Page

Country Care Review: El Salvador

Better Care Network, 01 Oct 2019

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as part of its examination of El Salvador's initial reports, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

Reforming a System That Cannot Reform Itself: Child Welfare Reform by Class Action Lawsuits

Joyce Y Lee, Terri Gilbert, Shawna J Lee, Karen M Staller - Social Work, 30 Sep 2019

The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to social workers of child welfare reform by class action lawsuits and subsequent consent decrees in the United States.

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Papering the Origins: Place-Making, Privacy, and Kinship in Spanish International Adoption

Jessaca Leinaweaver - Genealogy, 25 Sep 2019

This article examines place and privacy as two key resources for producing kinship through an analysis of exceptional legal practices in Spain that overdetermine international adoptees’ Spanishness.

Country Care Review: Albania

Better Care Network , 25 Sep 2019

This country care review includes the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committees' recommendations on the issue of Family Environment and Alternative Care, and other care relevant issues, are highlighted.