This International Labour Organization (ILO) brief introduces a new international standard adopted in June 2012, the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202), that provides guidance to member States in building comprehensive social security systems and extending social security coverage by prioritizing the establishment of national floors of social protection accessible to all in need.

On May 2, 2012, in preparation of the Family Strengthening and Alternative Care Conference for Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa in Dakar, Senegal, BCN and the regional planning committee convened experts and practitioners to present and discuss the efforts to implement the Guidelines for the Alternative Care in the region. Watch this video for presentations, country level experience from Togo, and discussions on the pressing issues facing implementation in the region.

SOS Children's Villages has produced an assessment tool for the implementation of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. It has been designed to support the advocacy activities of SOS Children's Villages. The tool’s main focus is to measure a state’s obligations under the UNCRC, in providing quality care arrangements for all children who have lost parental care and those families at risk of separation

This ‘Top Ten Resources’ document lists the currently most relevant materials on Child Protection, as identified by Save the Children’s Child Protection Initiative (CPI).

This comprehensive policy report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation summarizes what is known about kinship care in the United States, identifies the problems and issues these families face, and recommends how best to support caregivers as they step up to take responsibility for children in their extended families and communities.

This qualitative research study seeks to better understand some of the reasons for residential care expansion in the province of Battambang, Cambodia. The study aims to identify why children are sent to orphanages and understand the attitudes of those stakeholders who are influencing the rise in institutions in the province.

The paper provides a clear agenda for action for reversing the neglect of childhood disability in child care reform and points towards several key policy recommendations.

This background paper and individual country briefs were commissioned to examine the current status of family support services and alternative care in 18 sub-Saharan Francophone, four Anglophone and two Lusophone African countries (a total of 22 countries). This background paper represents a comparative regional analysis, providing an overview of the current situation and illustrating promising practices, opportunities and challenges.

This report provides data on children living in urban settings, including statistics, conditions, and personal testimonies. The report also includes UNICEF’s recommendations for policy regarding children in urban settings, working with this population, and for future action. Sections that are relevant to children’s care include: children living and working on the streets, migrant children, urban emergencies, and many more.

This article sets out some of the evidence of the impact of institutionalisation on children in Europe.