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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A Good Fit? Ireland’s Programme for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support as a Public Health Approach to Child Protection

John Canavan, Carmel Devaney, Caroline McGregor, Aileen Shaw - Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children , 27 Apr 2019

The focus of this collection is the promise of public health approaches to child protection and welfare systems development and delivery, and this chapter from the book Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children is a case study of what such an approach looks like in practice.

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Understanding Trauma and Child Maltreatment Experienced in Indigenous Communities

Deb Duthie, Sharon Steinhauer, Catherine Twinn, Vincent Steinhauer, Bob Lonne - Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children , 27 Apr 2019

This chapter from the book Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children critiques historical and contemporary child protection approaches that are viewed as replicating the colonialist practices of child removal and destruction of families/parenting and communities. Using Australia and Canada as examples, it focuses upon three different sources of the disadvantage and distress that Indigenous communities typically experience: the impacts of Colonisation; intergenerational trauma; and the ongoing social, economic, legal and political inequalities that stem from deep-seated inequity.

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Stakeholder’s Experiences of the Forensic Child Protection Paradigm

Helen Buckley, Morag McArthur, Tim Moore, Erica Russ, Tania Withington - Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children , 27 Apr 2019

This chapter from the book Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children, drawing on recent international empirical research, illustrates the perspectives of key stakeholders in the child welfare and protection services: Children, caregivers and practitioners. It shows that while there is an awareness of what children and families require in order to lead supported and healthy lives, the current system is challenged in its attempts to adequately address their needs due to its forensic and highly regulated orientation.

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Approaches to realising the rights of young people leaving out of home care

Emily Munro - Leaving Care and the Transition to Adulthood, 25 Apr 2019

This chapter from the book Leaving Care and the Transition to Adulthood explores progress towards realizing the rights of young people in and leaving out of home care in Australia, Sweden and the UK.

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The Hispanic Experience of the Child Welfare System

Ryan D. Davidson, Meredith W. Morrissey, Connie J. Beck - Family Court Review, 23 Apr 2019

This literature review examines research on the outcomes and experiences of Hispanic families in the US child welfare system and how case characteristics interact with the experiences of Hispanic families.

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Care in crisis—Is there a solution? Reflections on the Care Crisis Review 2018

Holt, Kim and Kelly, Nancy - Child & Family Social Work, 17 Apr 2019

The authors of this article reflect on the recently published Care Crisis Review 2018, a sector‐led review, which examines the reasons for the rise in care proceedings and the number of children in care.

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Country Care Review: Vanuatu

Better Care Network, 09 Apr 2019

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

Country Care Review: Saudi Arabia

Better Care Network, 09 Apr 2019

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

Country Care Review: Spain

Better Care Network, 09 Apr 2019

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

Country Care Review: Turkey

Better Care Network , 09 Apr 2019

This country care review includes the Concluding Observations for the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Committees' recommendations on the issue of Family Environment and Alternative Care as well as other care relevant issues are highlighted.