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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Minimum Standards of Care for Child Care Facilities: Regulations and Procedures

Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, Republic of Zambia, Department of Social Welfare, 01 Jul 2014

This document contains a set of regulations and procedures which the Zambian Government has established as the “Minimum Standards of Care for Child Care Facilities.”

Protecting the Lonely Children: Recommendations to the Australian Government and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child with respect to unaccompanied children who seek asylum and refuge in Australia

Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, 01 Jul 2014

This report by the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce identifies problems with and makes recommendations for improvement of the current system of guardianship and care of unaccompanied children in Australia, which is inequitable and lacking in transparency and accountability.

Country Care Review: Kyrgyzstan

Better Care Network, 13 Jun 2014

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination of the third and fourth periodic reports of Kyrgyzstan (CRC/C/KGZ/4-5) during its 65th Session at its 1880th and 1881st meetings held on 28 May 2014, and adopted, at its 1901st meeting, held on 13 June 2014.

Country Care Review: Indonesia

Better Care Network, 13 Jun 2014

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination of the third and fourth periodic reports of Indonesia (CRC/C/IND/CO/3-4) during its 65th Session at its 1890th and 1891st meetings held on 5 June 2014, and adopted, at its 1901st meeting, held on 13 June 2014.

Country Care Review: Saint Lucia

Better Care Network, 13 Jun 2014

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of its examination of the second to fourth periodic reports of Saint Lucia (CRC/C/LCA/2-4) during its 65th Session at its 1892nd and 1893rd meetings held on 6 June 2014, and adopted, at its 1901st meeting, held on 13 June 2014.

Niños, Orfanatos y Familias

Kelley Bunkers, Amanda Cox, Sarah Gesiriech, and Kerry Olson, Faith to Action Initiative, 12 Jun 2014

El presente resumen de investigaciones se ofrece a iglesias, organizaciones religiosas y personas de fe que buscan información basada en pruebas sobre la mejor manera de cuidar a huérfanos y niños separados del cuidado parental.

Les enfants, les orphelinats et les familles

Kelley Bunkers, Amanda Cox, Sarah Gesiriech, and Kerry Olson, Faith to Action Initiative, 12 Jun 2014

Ce résumé sur les recherches est offert aux églises, aux organisations confessionnelles et aux personnes de foi qui cherchent des informations factuelles sur les meilleures façons de venir en aide aux orphelins et aux enfants privés de la protecti

Children, Orphanages, and Families: a Summary of Research to Help Guide Faith-based Action

Kelley Bunkers, Amanda Cox, Sarah Gesiriech, and Kerry Olson, Faith to Action Initiative, 12 Jun 2014

This Summary of Research provides a concise overview of a range of studies and findings that can inform approaches to caring for children who, through orphanhood, abandonment, or other causes, have been separated from parental care.

Resolution Adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 12 June 2014

United Nations Economic and Social Council, 11 Jun 2014

The UN Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution on 12 June 2014 in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and beyond.

Hague Note on the Financial Aspects of Intercountry Adoption

Permanent Bureau, Hague Conference on International Private Law, 01 Jun 2014

To address the issues related to the financial aspects of intercountry adoptions, the Hague Convention initiated an Experts’ Group, which met in October 2012 and produced nine Conclusions and Recommendations, which they brought to the Permanent Bureau to publish as a “Note”.