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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2013 Kids Count Data Book: National and state-by-state data on key indicators of child well-being

Kids Count Data Center , 31 Dec 2012

The 2013 KIDS COUNT Data Book provides a detailed picture of how children are faring in the United States. In addition to ranking states on overall child well-being, the Data Book ranks states in four domains: Economic Well-Being, Education, Health, and Family and Community.

United States Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity

United States Government, 19 Dec 2012

The Action Plan on Children in Adversity is the first government wide strategic guidance for U.S. Government international assistance for children. The goal of the Action Plan is to achieve a world in which all children grow up within protective family care and free from deprivation, exploitation, and danger. It has three principal objectives, with Objective 2 specifically focusing on the importance of promoting family care and prevention of family-child separation.

Normas Mínimas para la Protección de la Infancia en la Acción Humanitaria

The Global Protection Cluster, 01 Dec 2012

These standards set out a common agreement on what needs to be achieved in order for child protection in humanitarian settings to be of adequate quality.

India: Annual Report of the Ministry of Women and Child Development

The Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development, 01 Dec 2012

In its Annual report (2011-2012), the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development reports on progress in the implementation of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), a new policy and programmatic strategy that specifically articulates the need to move away in approach and services from over-reliance on institutional care and towards responses that support family based care.

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SOS Children's Villages Assessment of a State's Implementation of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children

SOS Children’s Villages International , 01 Dec 2012

In 2011, SOS Children’s Villages International developed an assessment tool to measure a state’s implementation of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. This tool was used as a basis for conducting research by countries participating in the SOS Children’s Villages global advocacy campaign: Care for ME! Quality Care for Every Child. Country snapshots were produced for 7 countries. They include statistical data reporting the geographical prevalence of formal care institutions, number of children in these facilities, and more.

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Belarus: System of Detection, Intervention, Care, and Rehabilitation of Children Under 3 with Special Needs

Elena Bogdan, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, 22 Nov 2012

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference introduces social services available in Belarus for the identification, intervention, care, and rehabilitation of children under the age of 3 with disabilities, in order to prevent their abandonment and placement in institutions.

Kazakhstan: Reinforcing the Role of Primary Health Care (PHC) Workers and Parents in Care for young Children

Kuan Sabi Program, Kazakhstan, 21 Nov 2012

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference by the Kuan Sabi Program, in Kazakhstan suggests ways to improve the knowledge and skills of Primary Health Care workers that care for children under the age of 3.

Deinstitutionalization of Children in Bulgaria: Real and Irreversible

Darinka Yankova, Deputy Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection, 21 Nov 2012

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference by Darinka Yankova, Deputy Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection addresses the challenges and the new vision for the deinstitutionalization of children in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Moldova: Cooperation Between Ministries in Preventing Infant Mortality and Child Institutionalization

Valentina Buliga, Minister of Labor in Moldova, Social Protection and Family, 20 Nov 2012

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference by Valentina Buliga, Minister of Labor in Moldova, Social Protection and Family, introduces Moldova's ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor to reduce infant mortality and the placement of children under the age of 3 in institutions.

Georgia: Achievements and Challenges in Deinstitutionalization of Children Below 3 years

Irakli Nadareishvili, Deputy Ministry, Ministry of Labor Health and Social Affairs of Georgia,, 20 Nov 2012

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia conference by Irakli Nadareishvili, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labor Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, highlights the key initiatives of the deinstitutionalization and childcare system reform launched by Georgia in 2005, as well as the challenges faced in this process.