The paper asserts that consideration should be paid to how current operational contexts, collaborative relationships, and learning-knowledge can be united. It will be important to establish an operational leadership initiative to advance an evidence-to-action strategy, including (1) global coordination and dialogue; (2) national engagement; (3) building public- private partnerships; and (4) research. The initial focus on children outside of family care would best coincide with a broader focus on child protection systems and a holistic approach to children’s health, wellbeing, and development.
There is an urgent need to create a learning mechanism capable of uniting research across communities of practice that focuses on the various categories of children outside of family care. This effort should be guided by a coherent research framework and focus on the following priorities:
1. Define an interagency research agenda on children outside of family care as a first step toward defining a broader research agenda on children in adversity and child protection in LMIC. Elements might include:
2. Monitor interagency funding devoted to research on children in adversity in LMIC to ensure that defined priority research areas are adequately funded and reference appropriate benchmarks.
3. Adhere to clear ethical guidelines for research to ensure the physical and psychological safety of study participants and to maintain the integrity of the research.
4. Establish a long-term and focused effort to develop integrated knowledge transfer mechanisms in developing and middle/higher income countries and promote partnerships between universities, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society.
With such efforts, there is reason to believe that child protection efforts may more efficiently and effectively begin to address the multidimensional needs of millions of children living outside of family care.
To view the full paper (for Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal subscribers), please visit the following link: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213412001883
Alternatively, to receive the paper, please contact the Better Care Network at bcn.submit@gmail.com .
©Neil Boothby, Robert L. Balster, Philip Goldman, Michael G. Wessells, Charles H. Zeanah, Gillian Huebner, and James Garbarino