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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Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track?

UNICEF, 01 Dec 2019

This publication presents the latest available country data and global and regional estimates of the number of unregistered children.

Country Care Review: Mozambique

Better Care Network, 27 Nov 2019

This Country Care Review includes the care-related concluding observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

Unaccompanied Migrant Minors at the Frontier of Human Rights. The Spanish Case

Patrizia Rinaldi - The International Journal of Children's Rights, 21 Nov 2019

This article elaborates on provisions concerning the international protection system for minor migrants. It examines entry strategies put into place by young migrants facing the Spanish migration system.

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Child welfare removal of infants: Exploring policies and principles for decision-making in Nordic countries

Anne-Dorthe Hestbæk, Ingrid Höjer, Tarja Pösö, Marit Skivenes - Children and Youth Services Review, 20 Nov 2019

This descriptive policy analysis examines the position of infants’ rights in the family service orientated child welfare systems of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden when being placed in out-of-home care.

High-level Meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

20 Nov 2019

On November 20 and 21 Member States of the UN General Assembly participated in a High-level meeting on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. During the general debate, number of delegates made reference to the theme of the 2019 UNGA Resolution in the Rights of the Child which focuses on children without parental care, the Anniversary of the Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children, and work in support of children without parental care.

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Bangladesh: Policy progress report to end violence against children

World Vision, 19 Nov 2019

This report reviews the government of Bangladesh’s progress to create the minimum conditions in law and policy needed to end violence against children.

You Have the Right to Care and Protection! The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in Child and Youth Friendly Language

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

Marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, this booklet from SOS Children's Villages International informs children and young people about their right to live in a supportive family environment in accordance with the Guidelines.

Tu as droit à une protection et une prise en charge! Les Lignes directrices relatives à la protection de remplacement pour les enfants, adaptées aux enfants et aux jeunes

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

¡Tienes derecho al cuidado y a la protección! Directrices sobre las modalidades alternativas de cuidado de los niños en versión infantil y juvenil

SOS Children's Villages International, 14 Nov 2019

En conmemoración del décimo aniversario de la adopción de las Directrices sobre las modalidades alternativas de cuidado de los niños, este folleto de Aldeas Infantiles SOS Internacional informa a los niños, niñas y jóvenes sobre su derecho a vivir en un entorno familiar de acuerdo con las Directrices.

Recognising Children’s Citizenship in the Social Care System

Tom Cockburn, Dympna Devine - The British Journal of Social Work, 11 Nov 2019

This article draws upon the work of Pierre Bourdieu to develop a model of understanding children’s citizenship that on the one hand accounts for the structural flow of governance from modern welfare states that shape children’s lives, while recognising the agency and capacity for action among children. This article applies the model to those in the care system.

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