The purpose of this paper is to provide background information and offer pragmatic steps in relation to priority no. 3 of the European Declaration on the Health of Children and Young People with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families: “To transfer care from institutions to the community”. The paper was produced in preparation for the conference in Bucharest, Romania 26-27 November, 2010.

With particular attention to lower income countries, this paper examines the mismatch between children’s needs and the realities and long-term effects of residential institutions. The paper examines available evidence on the typical reasons why children end up in institutions, and the consequences and costs of providing this type of care compared to other options. The paper concludes with a description of better, family-based care alternatives and recommendations for policy-makers.

Good practices covered in this publication have sought to address specific constraints and challenges in achieving the Goals, in each country’s context, with specific examples related to care and protection for vulnerable children.

This report argues that a failure to provide proper care and protection for children is hindering progress in the achievement of many of the MDGs.

The evidence presented in this paper shows that insufficient attention paid to equity across and within generations has devastating impacts for the achievement of the MDGs and for the wellbeing of children now and in the future.

This briefing paper draws on ODI’s research on social protection and gender in eight countries and three regions funded by DFID and AusAID and discusses how social protection interventions can promote an inter¬linked gender-sensitive approach to the MDGs.

Findings and recommendations of the first national study of its kind in Ethiopia to study child care institutions, institutionalized children, and factors driving institutionalization.

This folder contains guidance and planning and assessment tools to implement reform of national social care financing from institutionalized care to a family and community-based framework.

Presentation by Linda Richter at the CCABA & IAS for the Meeting on Children and Especially Marginalized Populations on the 10-11th February 2010 in Geneva.

Comprehensive manual on the theory and process of deinstitutionalization based on the experiences of childcare professionals across the European region.