This article discusses the results of a cross-country research project in Sub-Saharan Africa regarding the impact of social protection on loss of parental care, support to foster or kinship care and quality of care and wellbeing in Sub-Saharan Africa. The research conducted investigates a large-scale nationally implemented cash transfer and public works programmes in Ghana, Rwanda and South Africa. The study found that social protection has the potential to support the prevention of loss of parental care, to provide much-needed financial support to kinship or foster carers and to improve child wellbeing and quality of care for all children through direct and indirect income effects as well as psychosocial and behavioural effects.
