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 economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention

Xiangming Fang, Derek S. Brown, Curtis S. Florence, James A. Mercy , 01 Feb 2012

This paper presents new estimates of the average lifetime cost per child maltreatment (CM) victim in the United States and aggregate lifetime costs for all new cases of CM incurred in 2008 using an incidence-based approach. The authors find that the lifetime economic burden of CM is approximately $124 billion. Given this substantial economic burden, the authors argue that the benefits of prevention will likely outweigh the costs for effective programs.

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Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe: Danish Language Summary Brochure

University of Nottingham, UK, 2012

This document is a Danish language summary brochure of the Manual of Good Practice titled ‘Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe,’ specific to child abandonment in Denmark.

The Long-Term Impact of Child Fostering in Senegal: Adults Fostered in their Childhood

Rosalinda Coppoletta, Philippe De Vreyer, Sylvie Lambert, and Abla Safir , 2012

Using data from a nationally representative household survey conducted in Senegal in 2006-2007, the survey Pauvreté et Structure Familiale, this paper studies the long-term outcomes for adults who have been fostered in their childhood, including children fostered to Koranic schools. It focuses its analysis on education, first employment and current employment as well as on marriage. Findings show that the long-term impacts of fostering are heterogeneous and depend on various reasons including the locations of fostering, host parents, fostering age, and gender.

Forgotten children? An update on young children in institutions across Europe

Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis, Kevin Browne , 2012

This article provides an update on a series of projects that have highlighted the issue of institutionalization of children in Europe, arguing that babies and small children aged less than 3 years old, with or without disability, should not be placed in residential care without a parent or primary caregiver.

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The Children Act (Kenya), Revised Edition 2012

2012

The Children Act, Chapter 141 is a Kenyan law that addresses provision for parental responsibility, fostering, adoption, custody, maintenance, guardianship, care and protection of children, among others.

2012 Child Protection System Mapping & Assessment Report (Zambia)

Ministry of Gender and Child Development - Zambia, 2012

This report was conducted to provide an extensive assessment designed to map the existing child protection system in Zambia.

Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe: Romania summary brochure (English)

University of Nottingham, UK, 2012

This document is an English language summary brochure of the Manual of Best Practice titled ‘Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe,’ specific to child abandonment in Romania.

Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe: Romanian Language Summary Brochure

University of Nottingham, UK, 2012

This document is a Romanian language summary brochure of the Manual of Best Practice titled ‘Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe,’ specific to child abandonment in Romania.

Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe: French Language Summary Brochure

University of Nottingham, UK, 2012

This document is a French language summary brochure of the Manual of Good Practice titled ‘Child Abandonment and its Prevention in Europe,’ specific to child abandonment in France.

Harmonisation of Children's Laws in Eastern and Southern Africa

The African Child Policy Forum, 2012

This publication is a compilation of country briefs that audit and review the level of alignment of national laws with international and regional standards.