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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Country Care Review: Costa Rica

Better Care Network, 07 Feb 2020

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Scottish Independent Care Review: The Promise

The Independent Care Review, 05 Feb 2020

One of several reports produced as part of the Scottish Independent Care Review, The Promise sets out an overall view of what the new approach to children's care in Scotland should be.

The Scottish Independent Care Review: The Pinky Promise

The Independent Care Review, 05 Feb 2020

One of several reports produced as part of the Scottish Independent Care Review, The Pinky Promise presents a young reader-friendly version of The Promise report, which sets out an overall view of what the new approach to children's care in Scotland should be.

The Scottish Independent Care Review: The Rules

The Independent Care Review, 05 Feb 2020

One of several reports produced as part of the Scottish Independent Care Review, this report demonstrates the current legislative framework of the Scottish care system and how it must change to achieve The Promise.

The Scottish Independent Care Review

The Independent Care Review, 05 Feb 2020

The Independent Care Review’s aim is to identify and deliver lasting change in Scotland’s care system and leave a legacy that will transform the wellbeing of infants, children and young people.

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A Manual for Routine Monitoring of the Alternative Care System in Ghana

MEASURE Evaluation, 01 Feb 2020

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance on how to collect and report data on children in formal alternative care in a standardised way, and to analyse, present, and make the data available for use.

Realizing One Integrated System of Care for Children

Ron Powell, Elizabeth Estes, Alex Briscoe - Policy Analysis for California Education, 01 Feb 2020

This brief identifies the steps necessary to realize an integrated system of care, reviews two current approaches, and makes recommendations—including specifying policy reforms that would promote interagency collaboration, integration, service delivery, and improved outcomes for California’s children, both with and without disabilities.

From vulnerability to risk: Consolidating state interventions towards Māori children and young people in New Zealand

Elizabeth Stanley & Sarah Monod de Froideville - Critical Social Policy, 22 Jan 2020

Vulnerability has been a guiding narrative to state interventions towards children and their families in New Zealand. This article shows how this progressive notion has been systematically managed to fit pre-established political and policy priorities.

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SFC’s National Ambition for Care-Experienced Students

Scottish Funding Council, 13 Jan 2020

This document sets out the Scottish Funding Council's National Ambition for Care-Experienced Students for the college and university sectors, outlining their commitment to equal outcomes for care-experienced students and their peers by 2030.

The role of complexity theory and network analysis for examining child welfare service delivery systems

Marianna L. Colvin & Shari E. Miller - Child & Youth Services , 09 Jan 2020

In response to the ongoing call for a complex systems approach for understanding and informing child welfare practice and policy, this article presents a context-specific conceptual framework that combines complexity theory and network analysis.

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