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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The development of leaving care law, policy, and practice in India

Kiran Modi, Aneesha Wadhwa, Leena Prasad - Child & Family Social Work, 15 Apr 2021

This paper, based on an extensive desk review, chronologically examines the evolution of aftercare laws and practices in India along with the factors that contributed to the rise of institutional care.

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“We don’t want you to come in and make a decision for us”: Traversing cultural authority and responsive regulation in Australian child protection systems

Sharynne L. Hamilton, Sarah Maslen, Brad Farrant, Nicole Ilich, Carol Michie - Australian Journal of Social Issues, 15 Apr 2021

The Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children Our Heart) project conducted extensive Elder and community consultation to develop principles and practice recommendations for child protection governance in Western Australia. The authors of this paper explore these principles and practice recommendations and highlight the need for culturally safe community consultation and governance with a focus on repairing damage incurred by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community from past child protection policies.

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Leaving care in Norway in a historic and current perspective: As a function of the Nordic welfare model

Jan Storø - Child & Family Social Work, 15 Apr 2021

The article discusses two previously published articles by the author and two co‐authors, where the topics are the history of leaving care support in Norway and how the Nordic welfare model may represent a problematic frame for leaving care support.

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The rights movement of young people living in and leaving care in England between 1973 and 2011: A history from below

Mike Stein - Child & Family Social Work, 15 Apr 2021

This paper explores the history of the rights movement of young people in care in England between 1973 and 2011.

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Strengths-Based Practice in Child Welfare: A Systematic Literature Review

Karmen Toros & Asgeir Falch-Eriksen - Journal of Child and Family Studies, 06 Apr 2021

The aim of this paper is to examine how a strengths-based approach facilitates working relationships between child welfare services and families.

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An ambitious EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child

Eurochild, 31 Mar 2021

This is a preliminary analysis of the new EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child was carried out by the Eurochild Secretariat.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: EU strategy on the rights of the child

European Commission, 24 Mar 2021

This strategy’s overarching ambition is to build the best possible life for children in the European Union and across the globe.

Norm Localization and Contestation: The Politics of Foster Children in Turkey

Burcu Akan Ellis - Genealogy, 18 Mar 2021

This study explores the recent adaptation of foster care (Koruyucu Aile) in Turkey.

Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 02 Mar 2021

In the present general comment, the Committee on the Rights of the Child explains how States parties should implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child in relation to the digital environment and provides guidance on relevant legislative, policy and other measures to ensure full compliance with their obligations under the Convention and the Optional Protocols thereto in the light of the opportunities, risks and challenges in promoting, respecting, protecting and fulfilling all children’s rights in the digital environment.

Manufacturing Moral Panic: Weaponizing Children to Undermine Gender Justice and Human Rights

Elevate Children Funders Group and Global Philanthropy Project with the research team Sentiido, 01 Mar 2021

This report explores how gender-restrictive groups are using child protection rhetoric to manufacture moral panic and mobilize against human rights, and how this strengthens the illiberal politics currently undermining democracies.