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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Migrant Children and Adolescents Returned: An Analysis of the Contexts and Responses of the Services and Policies of Protection in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico (Spanish)

RELAF, Save the Children, and UNICEF, 2015

Esta evaluación rápida, conducida por RELAF in colaboración con Save the Children y UNICEF, revisa las políticas públicas y servicios desarrollados por instituciones gubernamentales y no-gubernamentales perteneciendo al "Sistema de Protección Integral" para hacer frente a las cuestiones problemáticas que afectan los niños migrantes y sus familias en el Triángulo del Norte (El Salvador, Guatemala, y Honduras) y México.

Model Guidelines for Foster Care, 2015 - India

Ministry of Women and Child Development, India, 2015

These Guidelines for Foster care aim to protect the well-being of children in India who are deprived of family care or who are at risk of being so.

Building a Holistic Child Protection System, Step by Step, in the United Republic of Tanzania

UNICEF , 2015

This case study of the child protection system in the United Republic of Tanzania is part of a UNICEF global initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada to document national child protection frameworks to gain an understanding of the country, the response of government and other actors, as well as other factors contributing to success in protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse.

Humanitarian Protection for Children Fleeing Gang-Based Violence in the Americas

Elizabeth Carlson, Anna Marie Gallagher - Journal on Migration and Human Security, 2015

This paper provides an overview of the violence perpetrated by gangs and other criminal organizations in Mexico and Central America which compels many children to flee their communities. The paper also describes the US government’s obligations to protect unaccompanied children upon arrival, and good practices of other governments relating to the protection of child migrants and refugees.

Unified Resolution on the Twenty-First Pan-American Child and Adolescent Congress - Childhood and Adolescence: Building Peaceful Environments

IIN, Organization of American States (OAS) , 12 Dec 2014

This Unified Resolution from the Twenty-First Pan-American Child and Adolescent Congress highlights resolutions and recommendations relevant to violence against children, recognizes achievements made by Member States in addressing violence against children, and presents 17 specific resolutions related to ending and preventing violence against children in the Americas.

Position Statement from the Expert Consultation on Violence and Alternative Care

Expert Consultation on Violence and Alternative Care - 21st Pan American Child Congress , 08 Dec 2014

In advance of the 21st Pan American Child and Adolescent Congress, an international consultation on the elimination of violence against children in alternative care was convened. This position statement from the consultation was presented at the 21st Pan American Child and Adolescent Congress.

Executive Summary of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy

Kristen E. Cheney , 01 Dec 2014

This executive summary is the first document in a series of six reports, from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University (ISS), about the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy, held in August 2014.

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Global Surrogacy Practices

Marcy Darnovsky and Diane Beeson , 01 Dec 2014

This report summarises discussions of participants in Thematic Area 5 (Global Surrogacy Practices) of the International Forum on Intercountry Adoption and Global Surrogacy held in August 2014.

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Study on Legal Guardianship and Adoption Practices in Uganda

Dr. Hope Among - UNICEF & The Republic of Uganda, 01 Dec 2014

This study on legal guardianship and adoption practices in Uganda was designed to explore and get insight into current care practices.

A study on reintegration of street children in Burundi: experienced violence and maltreatment are associated with mental health impairments and impeded educational progress

Anselm Crombach, Manassé Bambonyé and Thomas Elbert - Frontiers in Psychology, 01 Dec 2014

This article outlines findings from research on current and former street children in Burundi, that assesses the extent to which violence can affect children’s mental well-being and psychological functioning, and thus limit their reintegration.