Non-Formal Mechanisms for Children's Care and Protection

In many countries children without adequate family care are supported within non-formal care arrangements. This typically involves the care of a child by a relative (kinship care), or someone close to the family (informal foster care), without any legal proceedings or regulation by the State. In some cases, children may also live on their own without adult carers within a child-headed household.

Informal care arrangements often build on traditional, cultural practices or religious practices and can provide a safe and caring environment for children close to their families and communities. Some arrangements however, may put children at risk of inadequate care, abuse or exploitation – particularly when caregivers are unrelated (or only distantly related), children are moved far away from their communities, or when a child heads the household. In kinship or informal foster care arrangements children may be treated differently than their caretakers’ own children, denied access to education and health and unfairly burdened with household labour.

Moves to formalize traditional alternative care arrangements have met with debate. While there is a need to monitor children’s care situations to prevent their discrimination and mistreatment - as well as to help caregivers to access support services - there are concerns that placing formal requirements on traditional caretaking practices (such as registration with the authorities) might disrupt or even curtail them.

In many countries efforts are underway to strengthen community-based and traditional practices for protecting vulnerable children. This includes supporting child protection committees and community based structures such as faith based groups, volunteer associations, traditional and religious leaders, and neighbourhood committees, to play an increased role in monitoring and supporting informal care arrangements. This can range from conducting home visits, counselling caregivers or children, encouraging children to attend school, providing life skills instruction and linking children to social assistance (cash transfers, feeding schemes, legal services). Awareness raising efforts can also help to educate communities about children’s rights and reduce discrimination against children in alternative care.

The resources in this section outline non-formal and traditional practices for caring and protecting children without adequate family care, which typically operate outside of the formal care and protection systems at the community level.

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Early Care and Education: Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care

Zero to Three and the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, 27 Feb 2013

Zero to Three, a US based non profit organization working to inform, train and support professionals, policy makers and parents to improve the lives of infants and toddlers, combined the evidence from research on early childhood development with feedback from focus groups with families, friends, and neighbors who act as care givers to develop a range of practical resources to strengthen care practices with children between the ages of 0 and 3.

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The role of informal caregivers in the well‐being of orphans in Botswana: a literature review

Tapologo Maundeni & Tumani Malinga‐Musamba - Child & Family Social Work, 05 Apr 2012

This paper paves the way to ensuring that challenges faced by informal caregivers are addressed in a manner that will make them more supportive to orphans.

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Children in Informal Alternative Care: Discussion Paper

Jini Roby for UNICEF Child Protection Section , 15 Jul 2011

This paper, 'Children in Informal Care', was produced in response to a knowledge gap on informal care and to help determine the relevance and applicability of the 2009 Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children to informal alternative care. The authors asked the questions “what constitutes ‘informal care’?”, “what forms of informal care are there?”, “who needs informal care?”, and “can they be clearly defined?”

Children and adolescents without parental care in Latin America: Contexts, causes and consequences of being deprived of the right to family and community

RELAF and SOS Children’s Villages International, 01 Jun 2010

This paper is based on The Latin American Report: The situation of children in Latin America without parental care or at risk of losing it. Contexts, causes and responses, which was prepared using reports from 13 countries in the region. The paper gives an overview of the state of one of the most fundamental rights - the right to parental care, a keystone for the right to live in a family and a community.

Alternative Care for Children in Southern Africa: Progress, Challenges and Future Directions

UNICEF, 09 Jan 2009

This report, prepared for UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) assesses the capacity in Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia to manage alternative care systems for children.

State Kinship Care Policies for Children that Come to the Attention of Child Welfare Agencies

Child Trends, 01 Dec 2008

Explores the disparity in support given to children in formal foster care in the United States compared to those in informal kin arrangements

Beyond men pikin: Improving Understanding of Post-Conflict Child Fostering in Sierra Leone

Lacey Andrews Gale, 27 Apr 2008

Examines the challenges posed in monitoring and ensuring child protection in informal and formal fostering in post-conflict areas.

Assessment of Capacity to Manage Alternative Care for Children in Southern Africa

Andrew Dunn & John Parry-Williams, 01 Feb 2008

This report, prepared for UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) assesses capacity of Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia to manage alternative care systems for children.

Assessment of Capacity to Manage Alternative Care in Zambia - DRAFT

Andrew Dunn, 14 Dec 2007

Country level evaluation of contributing factors to the establishment of an alternative care system.

Community Care Coalitions (CCCs): An Effective, Local, and Community-Wide Response to HIV and AIDS in Gwembe District, Zambia

Esther Nkumbwa, 2006

Short document outlining the constitution, role, and work of community care coalitions in Gwembe District, Zambia. Includes lessons learned and recommendations.