One of today’s great challenges for many countries resides in preventing the separation of the child from his/her parents and in the development of an individualized and permanent family plan for children placed in institutions or in a foster family. Besides maintaining the child in the family of origin and the prevention of his/her institutionalization, family reintegration constitutes the most desirable permanent solution.
As guiding principles in this regard, international law provides that family solutions must be envisaged as a priority and domestic measures must be given preference over those that may be available outside the country. However, the international legal framework applicable to children deprived of parental care still needs further development. The adoption of international standards as to how such problems should be dealt with would certainly contribute to the development of appropriate policy and good practice both by public institutions and private actors.
This document recommends that the UN General Assembly adopt a set of International standards on the protection of children without parental care. It provides a set of guidelines concerning preventing child separation, kinship care, permanency planning and reintegration.
©International Social Service and International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC)
