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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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.

Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family

United Nations General Assembly , 20 Nov 2014

A brief revised draft resolution from the UN General Assembly on the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and its recognition of the continued importance of “giving due consideration to advancing family policy development in the ongoing discussion on the post-2015 development agenda.”

Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014

United Nations General Assembly Economic and Social Council , 18 Nov 2014

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/136. The report focuses on the initiatives and activities by Member States and other relevant stakeholders in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, at all levels, and on recent family policy developments.

Alternative Care of Children in the Republic of Azerbaijan

The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 13 Nov 2014

This report is prepared within the MONEE project of UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS. It provides an overview of alternative care in Azerbaijan.

Preventive Measures for Reducing the Placement of Children in Institutional Care - Croatia

Republic of Croatia Ministry of Social Policy and Youth, 10 Nov 2014

On 10 September 2014, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria co-hosted a high level Lunchtime Discussion on The right of children below three years to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The discussion took place on the margins of the September meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board and brought together over 80 participants, including members of the UNICEF Executive Board, representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN from the CEE/CIS region, international organizations, NGOs, high level UNICEF and National Committee staff. Representatives from Croatia presented on preventing institutionalization of children.

Derecho Del Niño Y La Niña A La Familia. Cuidado Alternativo. Poniendo Fin A La Institucionalización En Las Américas

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), 10 Nov 2014

El presente Informe, por la Comisión Inter-Americana de los Derechos Humanos, establece los estándares aplicables en el derecho de los niños a vivir en una familia y formula una serie de recomendaciones concretas a los Estados para apoyar a las familias en sus responsabilidades de crianza.

Joint General Recommendation/General Comment No. 31 of the CEDAW and No. 18 of the CRC on Harmful Practices

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women & Committee on the Rights of the Child , 04 Nov 2014

This Joint General Recommendation from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is aimed at clarifying the obligations of States to these Conventions regarding “harmful practices.”

Child and Family Welfare Policy: Ghana

Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection - Government of Ghana , 01 Nov 2014

The Government of Ghana has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework for child protection, guided by the Constitution and the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560).

Eliminating Discrimination Against Children and Parents Based on Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity

UNICEF , 01 Nov 2014

This position paper from UNICEF clearly states that all children have a right to a safe and healthy childhood, free from discrimination. This discrimination includes discrimination against children based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of children or their parents.