Child Care and Protection System Reforms

Social welfare sector reform is increasingly common, particularly in transitional countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Increasing attention has been paid to the development of preventive community based child and family welfare programs that would, in coordination with health and education programs and social assistance, provide a range of support for vulnerable families.

Recognition of the damaging effects of institutional care on children and its high cost has influenced governments to redirect resources towards alternative family and community-based care practices such as kinship care, fostering, and adoption. Redirecting resources in the context of social welfare reforms requires a commitment from governments to provide adequate financing for effective policy implementation.

Funding availability raises a variety of issues regarding the level and type of support to be provided, the private or public management of services, and the entitlement process. Social welfare should protect the rights of children and their caretakers via fair and clear criteria of support provisions, with transparent procedures for the effective allocation of services.

Social welfare reforms to protect and support children and families need to be built on legal protections and child care policies which reflect the same child centred goals. Alternative forms of community based care, combined with social reintegration programmes and family support services, must be developed to reduce the use of institutions and enable children leaving institutions to rejoin their communities.

The resources in this section focus on country initiatives in reforming their social welfare sector to finance community based care developments.

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Assessment of the Adoption System in Ukraine

Nigel Cantwell; Isabel Lammerant; Laura Martinez-Mora, 2005

Assessment of the care system, domestic adoption, and international adoption in Ukraine with a summary of key findings and recommendations.

Expenditure on the Residential Care of Children in the Republic of Moldova: A Financial Analysis Based on 2005 Budget Data

David Larter and Eugenia Veverita, 2005

Reports on the financial costs of residential care for children in the Republic of Moldova. Highlights significant financial inefficiencies and advocates for closure of residential institutions.

Support for Families in Difficulty as a Means of Prevention of the Child's Separation from the Family of Origin

International Social Service and International Reference Centre for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC), 2005

Brief summary of the importance of social work in preventing family separation, including increasing empowerment, social support and self-assessment processes.

Promising Practices in Community-Based Social Services in CEE/CIS/Baltics

Rebecca T. Davis, 2005

Provides a framework for analysis of community-based social welfare services and linkages with government structures. Includes analysis of alternative care provision, de-institutionalization, programming for children with disabilities, standards of care, and overall social welfare sector reform.

Integrated Care for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: A Toolkit for Community Service Providers

Uganda Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, 2005

This Toolkit is a companion volume to the Ugandan Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development’s OVC Training Manual. It contains practical information and tools to help Community Service Providers in Uganda translate the national OVC guidelines into action.

Towards Social Welfare Services for All Vulnerable Children in South Africa: A Review of Policy Development, Budgeting and Service Delivery

Judith Streak and Sasha Poggenpoel , 2005

This paper provides an overview of the policy framework and financing of social welfare services in South Africa. Current budgeting and service delivery practices are discussed, as well as obstacles and recommendations for advanced action.

The Cost of Foster Care: Investing in our Children's Future

Robert Tapsfield and Felicity Collier, 2005

This report assesses the expenditure which is required to transform foster care services across the UK, in order to give children in public care the same opportunities to have a successful future as other children. Contains relevant statistics and social welfare system reform recommendations.

A Global Policy for the Protection of Children Deprived of Parental Care

Claudia Cabral, 2004

This paper presents a set of global policy guidelines for the protection of children without parental care. It recommends the need for a global understanding of best practices within the legal framework of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

An Initiative Supporting the Basic Income and Needs of HIV/AIDS Affected Households and Individuals (SIMBA)

Anuj Jain, 2004

This paper outlines a program (SIMBA) established to work with local AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) in Zimbabwe to promote economic development in HIV/AIDS affected communities. Efforts to promote capacitiy building of organizations, self-managed and savings-based microfinance services, and basic business management training are described.

Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession

Vishanthie Sewpaul and David Jones, 2004

Outlines a set of global standards for schools of social work.