To mark the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights on the Child (CRC), a three-day event was held at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland from 18-20 November 2019. During the Child Protection session on 18 November, Becky Smith of Save the Children gave this presentation on Children Without Parental Care.
The presentation provides a history and background on what led to the development of Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and explains where we are now regarding children's care, including current global momentum and the focus of this year's UNGA Rights of the Child Resolution on children without parental care. In the presentation, Smith notes that the Guidelines are now regularly referred to by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in reviewing state party reports and concluding observations. Some examples include: Côte d'Ivoire (2019); Syria (2019); Cabo Verde (2019); Tonga (2019); Laos (2018); Solomon Islands (2018); Angola (2018); Sri Lanka (2018); CAR (2017); Lebanon (2017); Vanuatu (2017); Barbados (2017); Sierra Leone (2016); UK (2016); Iran (2016); Netherlands (2015); Tanzania (2015).
The presentation concludes with a reflection on where we are going, looking at prevention of family separation, support to children with disabilities, high-quality alternative care options, improved data collection, and child participation.
In addition to the Child Protection session, there was also a workshop session focused on alternative care, which celebrated not only the 30th anniversary of the CRC, but also the 10th anniversary of the Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children. To view the presentations and videos presented at that workshop event, please click here.
