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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The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children- Policy Brief

Save the Children , 01 Nov 2013

This policy brief by Save the Children introduces the background, goals, and guiding principles of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children endorsed by the UN General Assembly on the 20th of November 2009 while also explaining why family-based care is a preferred care arrangement over institutions. Furthermore, it suggests policy and practice recommendations to further protect children without appropriate care and strengthen families and communities.

Toward a World Free from Violence: Global survey on violence against children

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, 30 Oct 2013

The Global Survey on Violence against Children, conducted under the auspices of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence against Children, examines the measures in place around the world to ensure follow-up to the recommendations set out in the 2006 UN Study on Violence against Children.

The New Delhi Declaration on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights, 25 October 2013

Second High Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights in Asia and the Pacific, 25 Oct 2013

A New Delhi Declaration renewing governments' commitments to the rights of children and pledging to support each other in the achievement of those rights, was adopted unanimously on 25th October 2013 by 32 Asian and Pacific States attending the Second High Level Meeting on South-South Cooperation for Child Rights in Asia and the Pacific.

Promoting Children's Rights Key to Future Development, Prosperity, Delegates stress as Third Committee Concludes Debate

Department of Public Information, United Nations , 18 Oct 2013

Summary of the Third Committee debate on children's rights at the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York

MOLDOVA: Technical Presentation "Protecting Children of Moldova from family separation, abuse, neglect and exploitation"

Dr. Stela Grigorash, 17 Oct 2013

The second of two important presentations by Dr. Stela Grigorash, the Director of Partnerships for EveryChild Moldova, on the important work and lessons learnt in reforming the care system in that country.

MOLDOVA: General Presentation "Protecting Children of Moldova from Family Separation, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation"

Dr. Stela Grigorash, 17 Oct 2013

The first of two important presentations by Dr. Stela Grigorash, the Director of Partnerships for EveryChild Moldova, on the important work and lessons learnt in reforming the care system in that country.

Joint Memorandum: Community Living for All - The Need to Provide Clarity in Thematic Conditionality 10

NUI Galway, Lumos, European Foundation Centre, The Equal Rights Trust, AGE Platform Europe, European Disability Forum , 12 Oct 2013

This joint memo was issued by a group of European organizations to clearly state their belief that the draft language on community living in the proposed EU Structural Funds Regulations should be amended to enhance the effect and to better advance the rights of children, persons with disabilities, and older people.

Young People's Transitions from Care to Adulthood in European and Postcommunist Eastern European and Central Asian Societies

Mike Stein, Australian Social Work, 2014, Vol. 67, No. 1, 24–38, 02 Oct 2013

This study compares the data on young people transitioning from out of home care from 9 non-communist European countries examined in the INTRAC document with 14 post-communist countries reviewed in the SOS and INTRAC publications.

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Ending the Placement of Children Under Three in Institutions: Report from the International Ministerial Conference, Sofia, November 2012

UNICEF , 01 Oct 2013

This Report from the international ministerial conference, held in Sofia, 21–22 November 2012, entitled 'Ending the placement of children under three in institutions: support nurturing families for all young children', brings together the presentations, political commitments and priority actions identified by the participants, including 20 governments from Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Indonesia: Changing the Paradigm - Save the Children's Work to Strengthen the Child Protection System 2005-2012

Florence Martin, 01 Oct 2013

This report documents the work conducted by Save the Children in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs over a period of 7 years to strengthen the national child protection system and change the underlying paradigm for that system away from over-reliance on residential care and towards child and family centered responses.