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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Alternative report on Ukraine's compliance with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for the period from 2011 to 2020

Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 2020

The Alternative Report (AR) on the implementation by Ukraine of the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the result of the joint work of public sector experts in the field of the protection of the rights of the child.

User-Friendly Version of the 2019 UN Resolution on the Rights of the Child Focusing on Children without Parental Care

SOS Children’s Villages International, 2020

This document summarizes the 2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child focusing on children without parental care (A/RES/74/133) in an easy-to-follow way.

Uganda National Child Policy 2020

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development - Government of Uganda, 2020

This National Child Policy has been developed to coordinate the efforts of the different sectors that have a direct and indirect mandate on children and deliver a comprehensive package of services encompassing all the four cardinal rights of the child in a multi-sectoral approach.

Child protection, safeguarding and the role of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: Looking back and looking ahead

Afrooz Kaviani JohnsonI, Julia Sloth-Nielsen - African Human Rights Law Journal, 2020

With 30 years since the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, this article discusses how the Charter has contributed to understanding and addressing children's rights to protection.

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Uganda National Child Policy Implementation Plan 2020/21 - 2024/25

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development - Government of Uganda, 2020

This National Child Policy Implementation Plan (2020/2021-2024/2025) provides a roadmap and a common agenda of action to operationalise the National Child Policy (2020).

2019 UNGA Resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth

United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, 18 Dec 2019

The 2019 United National General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth can be found on pages 19-27 of the Report of the Third Committee on Social Development. The Resolution highlights a number of concerns and recommendations regarding children's care.

2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child

United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, 18 Dec 2019

The 2019 Resolution on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2019. The Resolution focuses specifically on children without parental care.

2019 UNGA Resolution on Follow-up to the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and beyond

United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, 18 Dec 2019

The 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on Follow-up to the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and beyond can be found on pages 48-51 of the Report of the Third Committee on Social Development. The Resolution highlights a number of concerns and recommendations regarding children's care

Key Recommendations for the 2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child with a focus on children without parental care

Coalition on Children without Parental Care, 18 Dec 2019

A global coalition of organisations, networks, and agencies working at national, regional and international levels on children's care worked together to propose to Member States a set of Key Recommendations to be included in the 2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child to address key challenges and opportunities in implementing the rights of children without parental care.

2019 UNGA Resolution on the Girl Child

United Nations General Assembly Third Committee, 18 Dec 2019

The 2019 Resolution on the Girl Child can be found on pages 7-21 of the Third Committee Report on the Promotion and protection of the rights of children. The Resolution highlights several concerns and recommendations related to children's care.