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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Scotland: National Care Standards. Childcare Agencies

Scottish Executive, 2006

A set of standards for agencies that provide child care/day care services within the family home e.g. nannies, child minders, and babysitters.

A Child Protection System in Mongolia

Andy West - International Save the Children Alliance, 2006

Examines barriers to the development of a child protection system in Mongolia. Recommendations stress the need to develop integrated child protection as an essential service comprising a dedicated national agency and appropriate legal frameworks.

The Eugene Declaration

Holt International Children's Services, 31 Dec 2005

Recognition of the crises affecting children and a commitment to improving the lives of children.

Elaborating A Lifelong Plan: Family Reintegration

International Social Service and International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family (ISS/IRC) , 31 Dec 2005

A brief fact sheet on family reintegration. Provides an overview of what a social worker should pay attention to when assessing a child's situation.

Quality Care Standards: Experiences from Cambodia

29 Nov 2005

This presentation was given at the Alternative Care Workshop in Bangkok in November 2005.

Policy Standards Framework in Relation to Residential and Community-Based Care

UNICEF, 29 Nov 2005

This presentation from UNICEF was given at the Alternative Care Workshop in Bangkok in November 2005. It outlines the standards and principles for residential and community-based care in the region.

Scotland: National Care Standards: Care Homes for Children and Young People

Scottish Executive, 2005

A set of standards for residential settings, including the young person’s welcome into care, the quality of care they should receive, contact arrangements, and listening and responding to the views of young people.

Romania: Minimum Standards for Child Day Care Centers

Romania National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption, 2005

Minimum standards for day care centers in Romania.

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

Save the Children Fund, 2005

A set of standards and indicators to guide staff and agencies in the provision of a minimum standard of care for children. The standards apply across a range of care settings and cover the delivery and administration of child care services, staff and caregiver competence, and the quality of care children should expect to receive.

Working with Children and Families Vol 2., Children's Activities

Louise Melville, British Council, Jordan, 2005

Guidance and examples of group activities which promote development and self-esteem, and the role of the worker in providing activities on a regular basis.