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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Discipline and Punishment in Child Care Settings in Scotland: Legislation, Regulations and Practice

Andrew Kendrick, 30 Dec 2023

The principal aim of this research review is to set out the nature of discipline and punishment in care settings in Scotland from 1920 to 2014.

Inequitable Access to Relative Caregiving: Implications of Foster Care Regulations in Finland, New Zealand, and the United States

Michael Hoffmeister, 30 Nov 2023

This analysis considers foster care regulations in three jurisdictions in Finland, New Zealand, and Wisconsin, USA, and the effects of policy decisions on eligibility for relative caregivers and placement options for children in out-of-home care.

Hong Kong: Hello, Can You Hear Me? Implementing Article 12 of the UNCRC in the Hong Kong Legal Setting

Anne Scully-Johnson - Cambridge University Press, 15 Nov 2023

This research is part of a wider project commissioned by the Hong Kong Committee on Children’s Rights (HKCCR), a non-governmental organisation originally formed in 1992 to promote, advance and ensure the rights of the child in Hong Kong. The aim of the wider project was to establish an independent baseline study of the implementation of Article 12 across all relevant sectors in Hong Kong, from constitutional and high-level policy-making to health and education to matters of leisure, culture and built environment, amongst others.

A/78/540: Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine - Note by the Secretary-General (Advance Unedited Version)

United Nations, 19 Oct 2023

The present report is submitted to the General Assembly by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 52/32, which renewed the Commission’s initial mandate for one additional year. The report concludes that "the collected evidence further shows that Russian authorities have committed the war crimes of wilful killing, torture, rape and other sexual violence, and the deportation of children to the Russian Federation.

Directive Number 976/2023: Directive on Alternative Childcare and Support

Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Ethiopia, 01 Oct 2023

Recognizing the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and the need to provide standardized and quality alternative childcare and support services, The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA) in collaboration wit

National Standards for the Provision of Children and Young People’s Advocacy Services

U.K. Department of Education, 01 Sep 2023

Advocacy is about representing the views, wishes and needs of children and young people to professionals making decisions about their lives, and helping them to navigate the system, especially in times of transition.

The Evolution of Alternative Care in Bhutan over the Last Decade and Way Forward

Tshering Dolkar, 29 Aug 2023

This article explores the existing policies and services that are prevalent in Bhutan that are enhancing childcare and protection. It also tries to bring forth the good practices that are currently in place and how it can be strengthened further by addressing challenges within the system. It also provides insight into history and evolution, and role of stakeholders involved in alternative care in the country.

Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond

Children in Alternative Care in the Child Guarantee National Action Plans: A summative analysis

Eurochild, UNICEF, 26 May 2023

In this policy brief published by Eurochild and UNICEF, researchers assess the 20 available European Child Guarantee National Action Plans (NAPs) and issue recommendations to examine their coverage of children in alternative care.

The Theology of the Child, Children’s Care, and Protection

Collaborative on Global Children's Issues and the Georgetown University Center for Child, Human Development, 01 Apr 2023

The Theology of the Child, Children’s Care, and Protection

Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, CRS, CTWWC, 20 Mar 2023

During this webinar, participants explored the theological dimensions of child-family separation. Is there a theology of the child within the Christian faith? How has the care and protection of children been understood within Catholic social teaching?