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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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.

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.

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.

Situación de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes sin cuidados parentales en la República Argentina. Relevamiento nacional - actualización 2014

UNICEF y Ministerio de Desarrollo Social de la Nación, 01 Nov 2015

Este nuevo relevamiento muestra y analiza datos actualizados relativos a la cantidad de niñas, niños y adolescentes (NNyA) sin cuidados parentales en la República Argentina, los lugares de cuidado donde están alojados, las condiciones en las que viven, el organismo que decidió que fueran separados o separadas de su mamá, papá o familia ampliada, los motivos de esta separación, los tiempos de permanencia en las instituciones, los motivos de ingreso y egreso.

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.

US Department of Health and Human Services: Child Welfare Policy Manual

US Department of Health and Human Services, 01 Nov 2015

The Child Welfare Policy Manual, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, contains policy questions and answers applicable to child welfare programs operated by the Children's Bureau.

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The future of baby hatches in China

Wenjie Sun, Yumei Zheng, Yiqiong Xie - Women and Birth, 01 Nov 2015

In this letter to the editor, the authors express their support for the continued use of “baby hatches” in China.

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Country Care Review: Kazakhstan

Better Care Network, 29 Oct 2015

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.