Social Protection Policies and Programmes

Poverty affects both the quality and length of children’s lives, reduces the ability of families to adequately provide for their children, and is a significant cause of family breakdown and child separation. Social assistance programmes aim to reduce child poverty and act as a safety net for families with minimal resources.

Such programmes include in-kind and in-cash transfers, and food for work initiatives. Social assistance programmes are a part of social welfare and must include clear child care policies that protect children and strengthen family and community capacities to access services and provide care.

Cash transfers are a means of financially supporting the most vulnerable households to improve the child’s access to essential goods and services, such as health and education. They include the use of child support grants, child and family allowances and targeted and conditional cash transfers. They may be combined with investment in child education and health services, and redistributive tax policies.

In-kind transfers provide access to essential goods and services instead of cash payments. Conditional cash transfers provide money to poor families on achieving certain actions, such as sending children to school.

Social assistance programmes may struggle to target those most in need, and provide sustainable support. Economic policies, including social assistance, and household economic strengthening, require substantial research, monitoring, and gatekeeping to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable are reached and that long term benefits can be achieved for families, including child headed households.

The literature in this section provides country examples and analyses of social assistance programs, focusing primarily on cash transfer schemes.

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Making the Case for Cash: Humanitarian Food Aid Under Scrutiny

Oxfam International, 2005

Briefing note advocating cash transfers in disaster relief, with a particular focus on operations in Sri Lanka and Indonesia following the tsunami in 2004.

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.

Reviewing Ten Years of the School Nutrition Programme

Russell Andrew Wildeman and Nobuntu Mbebetho, 2005

Reviews the history, effectiveness, and efficacy of the School Nutrition Programme in South Africa. Conclusions strengthen arguments for programme expansion.

Economic Strengthening Activities Benefiting Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Africa: Mapping of Field Programs

Carolyn Barnes, 2005

This paper identifies programs in sub-Saharan Africa focused on economic strengthening interventions, and analyzes their approaches and impact on orphans and vulnerable children. Interventions focused on savings and lending groups, micro-leasing, market linkages and household gardening appear to be particularly effective.

Economic Strengthening / Livelihood Tools and Literature Review

Hugh Allen, 2005

Summary and analysis of the status of the literature and reviews on economic strengthening and livelihood tools. Contains recommendations of best practices and guidelines on which tools work.

Breaking the Poverty Cycle: A Case Study of Cash Interventions in Ethiopia

Lesley Adams and Emebet Kebede, 2005

This paper examines the role, process and impact of cash transfer interventions in Ethiopia using several case studies. Challenges and recommendations for future cash interventions are discussed in-depth.

Cash and Vouchers in Emergencies

Humanitarian Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute , 2005

Examines the use of cash and vouchers to provide people with assistance in emergency situations

The Promise of a Future: Strengthening Family and Community Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kerry Olson, Ruth Messinger, Laura Sutherland, and Jennifer Astone , 2005

A brief document advocating for the strengthening and support of community based responses to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Education Access and Retention for Educationally Marginalised Children: Innovations in Social Protection

Peter Badcock-Walters, Marelize Görgens, Wendy Heard, Patience Mukwashi, Rose Smart, Jill Tomlinson, and Daniel Wilson, 2005

This paper provides a comprehensive contextual overview of the educational challenges faced by orphans and vulnerable children in sub-Saharan Africa. It includes recommendations for future education policy in the context of HIV and AIDS, as well as provides country specific data on current policies and social protection programs.

How Communities are Coping with the Impact of HIV and AIDS on Children: Findings from Uganda and Zambia

Jane Chege, 2005

Assessment of pilot programs employing World Vision Community Care Coalition model in Uganda and Zambia.