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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An Assessment of Intercountry Adoption Laws, Policies and Practices in Liberia

UNICEF and Holt International, 2007

This report presents the findings of an assessment conducted between 8 July and 22 August 2006 that gathered and analyzed information on inter-country adoption to support strengthening Liberia’s adoption laws and develop operating guidelines for adoption agencies.

No Place Like Home: A Research Study of the Operations, Management, and Care Offered by Residential Facilities for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children

Built Environment Support Group, BESG, 2007

A study of the management, operations, and care offered by institutions for AIDS orphans in South Africa. It compares the findings of registered and unregistered institutions.

Armenia: Minimum Child Care Standards for Child Care Organizations

31 Dec 2006

Guidelines for the minimum standards for residential childcare institutions in Armenia, including how the child should be received, cared for, and the arrangements for the child leaving the institution.

International Guidelines on Children Without Parental Care

15 Aug 2006

This page describes the process of getting the guidelines adopted by the UN continues.

Standards for Children's Home in Guyana

Ministry of Human Services and Social Security , 01 Aug 2006

A set of standards for measurable quality in service provision for children living in homes. Outlines the rights of a child, planning and legalizing children’s care, children’s home administration, management and staffing, and safeguarding child welfare while in the home, which includes nutrition, health, education and religion.

Orphanage Assessment Report

Sophie T. Parwon, 01 Jun 2006

Documents assessment of child welfare and protection of children in orphanages in Liberia.

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.

Applying the Standards: Improving Quality Child Care Provision in East and Central Africa

Save the Children Fund; Diane M Swales with Rena Geibel and Neil McMillan, 2006

This guide is based on the standards set out in Raising the Standards (Save the Children, 2005). It presents lessons from the experiences of five agencies in implementing the childcare standards and assessing their effectiveness.