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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HOTĂRÎRE Nr. 434: privind aprobarea Strategiei pentru protecţia copilului pe anii 2014-2020

Republic of Moldova, 2014

În scopul implementării prevederilor Convenţiei internaţionale cu privire la drepturile copilului, adoptate de Adunarea Generală a Organizaţiei Naţiunilor Unite la 22 noiembrie 1989, la care Republica Moldova a aderat prin Hotărîrea Parlamentului

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Drumming Together for Change: A Child’s Right to Quality Care in Sub-Saharan Africa

SOS Children’s Villages, Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, University of Malawi, 2014

This report is based on a synthesis of eight assessments of the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (“the Guidelines”) in Benin, Gambia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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Child Welfare Policies, Services And Their Aptitude For Care And Protection Of Vulnerable Children And Their Families

Project EDU-CARE, Department of Social Work at St. Xavier's College, 2014

The Technical Team under the Project “EDU-CARE: Social Operators Active in the Protection of the Children and in the Promotion of the Children’s Rights in Nepal” reports on the child care practices, policies, and programs currently in effect in the country.

Different sizes, similar challenges: Out of home care for youth in Germany and the Netherlands

Annemiek T. Harder, Maren Zeller, Mónica López, Stefan Köngeter, Erik J. Knorth, 31 Dec 2013

This article reviews the history and development of out-of-home care services in Germany and the Netherlands comparing trends and numbers.

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Myanmar: Kinship Care Handbook

Jane Calder and Bep Van Sloten, 31 Dec 2013

This Handbook aims to provide guidance for Save the Children staff, NGO partners, Community Child Protection Groups and community volunteers in Myanmar in protecting the welfare of children living with extended family members.

Report of the 2nd Pan-African Conference on Parenting 2013

YONECO & Parenting in Africa Network, 31 Dec 2013

This report summarises the presentations and conclusions from the 2nd Pan-African annual conference on parenting held on the 16-17th October 2013 in Malawi on the theme of "Understanding realities of teenage parenting: a special focus on adolescents (boys and girls) with parenting responsibilities."

Current trends, figures and challenges in out of home child care: An international comparative analysis

Jorge F. del Valle and Amaia Bravo, 31 Dec 2013

This article closes a special edition focused on the state of child protection in 16 countries chosen to represent very different cultural contexts, historical backgrounds, and social welfare systems with special attention to out-of-home care placements, principally family foster care and residential care, though several aspects related to adoption were included as well.

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The 'dance' of kinship care in England and Ireland: Navigating a course between regulation and relationships

Emily R. Munro, Robbie Gilligan, 31 Dec 2013

There has been a significant growth in the use of formal kinship care in the UK and Ireland in the last 20 years. The paper charts some of the reasons for the 'organic growth' of kinship care and the multiple dynamics that have shaped this.

Overview of out of home care in the USA and Canada

Mark Courtney, Robert J. Flynn, Joël Beaupré, 30 Dec 2013

This paper provides overview of the US and Canada in-care system, noting certain differences and similarities between the two systems. Estimates of the number of children in care in Canada and data on children in the US foster care systems is also provided.

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Assessment of Community-and Family-Based Alternative Child-Care Services in Ethiopia

Getnet Tadele, Desta Ayode, Woldekidan Kifle, 28 Dec 2013

This assessment conducted by FHI 360, with support from Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs (MoWYCA) and the OAK Foundation aimed to generate evidence about formal community and family- based alternative child care services and service providing agencies in Ethiopia, with a particular focus on magnitude, quality and quality-assurance mechanisms.