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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Partnerships with children in child welfare: The importance of trust and pedagogical support

Inger Sofie Dahlø Husby, Tor Slettebø, Randi Juul - Child & Family Social Work, 06 Feb 2018

On the basis of qualitative interviews with 10 children about their experiences collaborating with child welfare professionals, this study has identified ways in which professionals can facilitate children's participation.

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The State of International Children's Rights

Joachim Theis - CPC Learning Network, 01 Feb 2018

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the state of international children’s rights, to inform the discussions of a small group of specialists in August 2017, and to make a contribution to ongoing global discussions about child protection and children’s rights.

Rural Child Welfare Practice: Issue Brief

Child Welfare Information Gateway, 01 Feb 2018

This issue brief highlights the importance of understanding the concerns and needs of children and families in rural communities in the United States

Promoting Permanency for Teens: A 50 State Review of Law and Policy

Anna Johnson, Richard Speiglman, Jane Mauldon, Bill Grimm, and Miranda Perry - National Center for Youth Law, 01 Feb 2018

This paper explores the diversity of U.S. state policies and practices for teens in foster care in two potentially competing areas: teens’ need for a permanent connection to a family (either their birth family, or an adoptive or guardian family), and teens’ developmental and practical needs in transitioning to legal adulthood, independence, and self-sufficiency.

Foster Care in England: A Review for the Department for Education

Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers , 01 Feb 2018

This review analyzes and critiques the foster care system in England, offering recommendations for improving the system.

Training child welfare citizen review panel members: A promising approach?

J. Jay Miller, LaToya Burns Vaughn - Children and Youth Services Review, 31 Jan 2018

This brief documents the evaluation of an online training for Citizen Review Panel (CRP) members in one southeastern state in the United States.

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The effectiveness of social work services for families whose children are in temporary custody

R. Bardauskiene and J. Pivoriene - 6th International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference SOCIETY. HEALTH. WELFARE, 31 Jan 2018

The article aims to uncover what hinders social workers to carry out effective work in providing social services for families whose children are in temporary custody.

Social work, poverty, and child welfare interventions

Kate Morris, Will Mason, Paul Bywaters, Brid Featherstone, Brigid Daniel, Geraldine Brady, Lisa Bunting, Jade Hooper, Nughmana Mirza, Jonathan Scourfield, Calum Webb - Child & Family Social Work, 17 Jan 2018

This article, based on a unique mixed‐methods study of social work interventions in the UK and the influence of poverty, highlights a narrative from practitioners that argues that, as many poor families do not harm their children, it is stigmatizing to discuss a link between poverty and child abuse and neglect.

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Maternal incarceration, child protection, and infant mortality: a descriptive study of infant children of women prisoners in Western Australia

Caitlin McMillen Dowell, Gloria C. Mejia, David B. Preen and Leonie Segal - Health & Justice, 15 Jan 2018

This study draws on linked administrative data to describe the exposure of children aged less than 2 years to maternal imprisonment in Western Australia, their contact with child protection services, and infant mortality rates.

Care-leaving in South Africa: an international and social justice perspective

Sue Bond - Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy , 14 Jan 2018

This paper discusses some of the challenges facing care leavers and the development of the care-leaving debate, legislation and policy in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. A comparison of the care-leaving arena in South Africa and the support services available to care leavers in the different countries will be presented.

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