Standards of Care

Standards of care are approved criteria for measuring and monitoring the management, provision and quality of child care services and their outcomes. Such standards are required for all child care provision, including day care, kinship, foster and institutional care.

Standards should be concrete and observable sets of indicators which describe what good practice means in terms of outcomes for the child, how a service should be delivered, and the actions required by staff. They should be guided by the rights and best interests of the child, the preservation of the family, and the promotion of the child’s development.

Standards of care should be in line with national child care and protection policies, and reflect international standards for children’s rights. The development, monitoring and evaluation of standards should be participatory, and reflect the views of children and families who are using the services.

Standards should give indicators relating to all aspects of child care from the child’s physical and emotional well-being to staff and organisational procedures. This includes the child’s diet, access to health and education, and play and recreational facilities. Standards should outline the methods of care and control, and ensure that services are accessible and promote the child’s health. Standards should specify the rights of children to privacy, informed choices, dignity and respect. Standards relating to staff should include recruitment and selection procedures, regular supervision, support, and training. Procedural standards include the maintenance of records, respect for confidentiality, and accountability mechanisms.

The literature in this section focuses on examples of organisational standards for child care provision.

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Policy on Alternative Care for Children - Cambodia

Kingdom of Cambodia, 01 Apr 2006

This document presents the full policy on the alternative care of children in Cambodia.

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Committee on the Rights of the Child Day of General Discussion: Children without Parental Care

Committee on the Rights of the Child, 17 Mar 2006

The Committee on the Rights of the Child held a day of general discussion on 16 September on “Children without parental care”.

Development of International Standards for the Protection of Children Deprived of Parental Care

NGO Working Group on Children without Parental Care, 02 Feb 2006

Presentation on the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care of Children.

Provisional Protective Measures: The Principles to Be Observed During the Institutionalization of a Child (2 of 3)

International Social Service and International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC), 2006

A brief 2-page overview of appropriate residential institution characteristics. Includes information on staffing, and the optimum size of each family-like unit.

Consultancy on the Establishment of Foster Care Regulations and Minimum Operating Standards for Insitutional Care of Children in Guyana

Andrew Dunn and John Parry-Williams - UNICEF, 2006

Detailed guidelines for the establishment of the Child Protection Service (CPS), designed to address the lack of regulations concerning standards in children’s institutions and the lack of departmental policy and procedures for assessing and assisting abused and at-risk children. Includes comprehensive set of CPS forms in 14 annexes.

UNHCR Guidelines on Formal Determinations of the Best Interests of the Child

UNHCR, 2006

Guidelines for when and how to make a decision regarding the best interests of the child in the case of emergencies. Includes useful information for addressing unaccompanied and separated children including, temporary and alternative care arrangements, tracing and reunification, and child participation.

Keeping Children Safe. Standards for Child Protection: TOOL 1

Keeping Children Safe Coalition, 2006

A set of basic standards for organizations to implement in order to fulfill their responsibilities in safeguarding children from abuse and exploitation

Provisional Protective Measures: The Principles to be Observed During the Institutionalization of a Child (3 of 3)

International Social Service and International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC), 2006

A brief 2-page document that highlights the importance of child participation, post care planning, guarding against abuse, and connecting residential institutions with the surrounding community.