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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Annual Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Violence Against Children to the UNGA

Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid - Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, 01 Sep 2022

Annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) on Violence Against Children to the UNGA. SRSG reports annually to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on progress achieved and lessons learned on the protection of children from violence.

Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform: September 2022 Update

UNICEF, Changing the Way We Care, 01 Sep 2022

This is the monthly update of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform published in September 2022.

Digital Childhoods: A Survey of Children and Parents

The UK Children’s Commissioner’s Office , 01 Sep 2022

This report aims to understand digital childhoods, and what can be achieved through the Online Safety Bill to protect children online. The Children’s Commissioner’s Office (CCo) commissioned a survey of 2,005 children aged 8-17 and their parents. This survey is nationally representative of children in England, by age, gender and region. All statistics mentioned in this report are from this survey.

Children's Act, 2022 (Kenya)

Republic of Kenya, 12 Jul 2022

The Children Act, 2022, is an act of Parliament to give effect to Article 53 of the Constitution; to make provision for children rights, parental responsibility, alternative care of children including guardianship, foster care placement and adoption; to make provision for care and protection of children and children in conflict with the law; to make provision for, and regulate the administration of children services; to establish the National Council for Children’s Services and for connected purposes.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children, Including Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Other Child Sexual Abuse Material

UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and any other child sexual abuse material, 12 Jul 2022

In the present report, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, describes the activities undertaken in relation to the discharge of her mandate since her previous report to the United Nations General Assembly. She also presents a thematic study on addressing the vulnerabilities of children to sale and sexual exploitation within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Preserving “Family Relations”: An Essential Feature of the Child's Right to Identity

Child Identity Protection, 29 Jun 2022

The aim of this publication is to highlight the protective aspects related to the child’s identity rights, with a focus on the family relations element, as embedded in international, regional and national standards. The publication provides direction on how to build identity safeguards, drawing on past lessons and capitalising on current opportunities. To do this, the right to identity is explored through a range of examples of existing challenges, promising practices and testimonies.

Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform: June 2022 Update

ESARO Regional Learning Platform on Care Reform, 01 Jun 2022

This is the monthly update of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform published in June 2022.

Understanding the Transnational Care Arrangements: Experiences in Nonparental Care in the Case of the Filipino Transnational Families

Jeffrey R. Ballaret, 01 Jun 2022

This study investigates how experiences and practices of transnational care arrangements are negotiated from the perspective of the nonparental carers. It specifically aims to understand its dynamics and patterns in shaping care relationships, normative familial values and the hope to reconstitute the family amidst migration-induced care.

Child Protection Advocacy Messages for the Ukraine Crisis

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 30 Apr 2022

These advocacy messages have been developed to support advocacy efforts conducted by Alliance members and wider humanitarian actors responding to and working on the Ukraine crisis response. The global subgroup on Children's Care and Ukraine, which is co-led by the Alliance's Unaccompanied and Separated Children Task Force (UASC) and the Global Collaborative Platform on Transforming Children's Care, developed the messaging for the UASC section.

Protection of the Rights of the Child in Civil, Administrative and Family Law Proceedings

European Parliament, 05 Apr 2022

The European Parliament adopted this resolution on the "Protection of the Rights of the Child in Civil, Administrative and Family Law Proceedings" on April 5, 2022.