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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Government of India Press Release: Series of New Initiatives for Development of Women and Children Mark the Achievements of WCD Ministry this Year

Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, 28 Dec 2015

A press release from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India recapped a series of new initiatives by the Ministry during 2015. The achievements relevant to children’s care are briefly described below and include the launch of the flagship programme Beti Bachao Beto Padhao for protection of the girl child; several initiatives to track, restore, and rehabilitate missing children; and adoption reforms and a new foster care system.

View Press Release

For the Benefit of Children Alone? A Discourse Analysis of Policymaking Relating to Children's Institutions in Indonesia, 1999-2009

Brian Babington, 16 Dec 2015

This thesis by Brian Babington, submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The Australian National University, uses a discourse analysis methodology to shed light on deinstitutionalisation policymaking in Indonesia. In examining the factors that led Indonesia to adopt a policy to reduce reliance on the panti asuhan type of children's institution, the dissertation reveals that Indonesia appears to have adopted this policy change not primarily as a result of concern for children's rights, but rather because of political, economic, cultural, and religious factors. It also explores how the policy shift attempted to appease both pro-reform and pro-panti asuhan groups.

Ending legalised violence against children: Global progress to December 2015

Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children & Save the Children Sweden, 01 Dec 2015

The report discusses progress made towards universal prohibition of corporal punishment of children, including by highlighting examples from individual states that have recently implemented legal and policy reforms. The report also considers prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment in the context of the new Sustainable Development Goals, and discusses initiatives by religious leaders and members of faith-based communities and organisations that are increasingly taking action towards prohibition and elimination of corporal punishment. Lastly, the report discusses the latest research relating to corporal punishment.

Research methodology applied to a comparative case study of the deinstitutionalization of children in Bulgaria and Ukraine

Chrissie Gale - Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 01 Dec 2015

This study discusses a variance in results in eliminating use of large-scale residential institutions for children across the CEE/CIS region.

Taking child protection to the next level in Kenya

Government of Kenya, UNICEF and Global Affairs Canada, 01 Dec 2015

The case study is part of a UNICEF global initiative, undertaken in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada to document national child protection frameworks in five core programming countries: Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Senegal and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Rapid Assessment of the Catholic Care for Children in Uganda

Janestic Mwende Twikirize - Makerere University, 01 Dec 2015

This report presents findings of two components of a Rapid Assessment of Catholic Care for Children in Uganda. The objective of the assessment was to examine the emerging legal framework pertaining to child protection and its implications for Catholic sisters and brothers who work with vulnerable children and their families.

Development of the SAFE Checklist Tool for Assessing Site-Level Threats to Child Protection: Use of Delphi Methods and Application to Two Sites in India

Betancourt TS, Zuilkowski SS, Ravichandran A, Einhorn H, Arora N, Bhattacharya Chakravarty A, et al., 05 Nov 2015

This study in India sought to develop the SAFE Checklist in order to assess site-level threats to child protection among children and families living in settings of adversity. The tool was field tested in two diverse sites in India (a construction site and a railway station) and the results demonstrated that the SAFE Checklist is a sensitive tool that captured the differences between the two sites from the standpoint of core child protection issues.

Realising children’s rights: A training manual for care professionals working with children in alternative care

SOS Children’s Villages International, 01 Nov 2015

The two-day course outlined in these pages is designed to familiarise groups of care professionals with the international standards and principles surrounding children’s rights – and above all, to relate this to the daily experience and challenges arising in the field of alternative care.

Realising Children’s Rights: A training manual for care professionals working with children in alternative care

SOS Children’s Villages International, 01 Nov 2015

Evaluation of the Thailand National Child and Youth Development Plan 2012-2015

Frank Noij and Chitrapon Vanaspong - Department of Children and Youth, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and UNICEF Thailand, 01 Nov 2015

The present evaluation examines the National Child and Youth Development Plan, which provides a framework for the development of children and youth in Thailand. The evaluation aimed to review the design and implementation of the NCYDP and to generate lessons in order to improve the operation of the current plan and to inform the development of a follow-up plan for the period beyond 2016.