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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Talking About Early Child Development and Children’s Mental Health in Alberta

FrameWorks Institute, 2011

This toolkit presents a compendium of research on how Albertans think about the issues of early childhood development, and how to increase public support for policies and programs that support healthy child development.

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Every child's right to be heard: A resource guide on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment no. 12

Gerison Lansdown, 2011

This resource guide is based on and elaborates the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 12, ‘The Right of the Child to be Heard.’ The aim of this handbook is to try to make easier the task of governments in moving that agenda forward.

Adoption: UK National Minimum Standards

Department for Education, UK, 2011

This document contains the UK National Minimum Standards (NMS) applicable to the provision of adoption services.

Zambia: National Health Strategic Plan 2011-2015

Republic of Zambia Ministry of Health, 2011

This document is the National Health Strategic Plan 2011 to 2015 (NHSP 2011-15) for Zambia.

Cartographie et Analyse des Systemes de Protection de L’Enfance au Senegal

Child Frontiers, Ltd.; Ministère de la Famille, des Groupements Féminins et de la Protection de l’Enfance; Ministère de la Justice & Cellule d’Appui à la Protection de l’Enfance, 2011

Cette cartographie et analyse du système de protection de l’enfance au Sénégal fait partie d’une initiative régionale de l’Afrique de l’Ouest et centrale soutenue de manière technique et matérielle par un groupe régional de référence composé de Plan International, Save the Children Suède, Save the Children Finlande et l’UNICEF.

Children without Appropriate Care: Participant Manual for Asia and the Pacific

Louise Melville Fulford, 31 Dec 2010

This manual offers a training session targeted at policy makers, professionals and paraprofessionals who are already working on programs to support children without appropriate care, or who may begin work in this area. This workshop focuses on children in developing contexts, who require support within their families and those who need an alternative care placement.

Public Participation in Law Reform: Revision of Namibia's Draft Child Care and Protection Bill Final Report 2010

Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW), Legal Assistance Center, UNICEF, 20 Dec 2010

This document provides a summary of the various forms of consultation undertaken during the revision of the Child Care and Protection Bill. It provides a basis for future law reform processes and presents an excellent example of how to include children and the public in the law-making process.

Foster Care in Namibia: Recommendations for the Framework

Namibian Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, 20 Dec 2010

Report assessing the existing framework for foster care in light of the realities of Namibian foster care in practice. Based on information about foster care frameworks and guardianship legislation in other countries, recommendations are provided for new approaches to foster care and foster care grants which could be incorporated into Namibia’s forthcoming Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA).

Thari Ya Bana: Reflections on Children in Botswana 2010

University of Botswana and UNICEF Botswana , 20 Dec 2010

The papers presented here bring together research and reflections on children’s issues in Botswana with a particular section dedicated to child protection and the needs of children without parental care

Ghana: National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Government of Ghana , 20 Dec 2010

The development of Ghana’s three year National Plan of Action for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) is to complement and reinforce existing legislature and other social policies for vulnerable groups. The OVC NPA framework sets out time bound goals and objectives and serves as a framework for providing care and support to vulnerable children in care institutions.