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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Alternative Care and Children’s Rights

Kirsten Sandberg - International Human Rights of Children, 13 Aug 2018

In this chapter children’s rights and state obligations in relation to alternative care are presented, with reference to the UN Alternative Care Guidelines and the general comments and concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

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Children in Need of Care and Protection: Standard Operating Procedures

Government of Ghana, 01 Jun 2018

These Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) describe guiding principles, procedures, roles and responsibilities in the prevention of and response to child protection for children residing within Ghana.

Country Care Review: Slovenia

Better Care Network, 16 Apr 2018

This Country Care Review includes the care-related concluding observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as other care-related concluding observations, ratification dates, and links to the Universal Periodic Review and Hague Intercountry Adoption Country Profile.

3rd Biennial International Conference Report: Evolving Trends in Alternative Care for Children in South Asia

Udayan Care, 01 Apr 2018

This is the report of the 3rd Biennial International Conference (3rd BICON) on “Evolving Trends in Alternative Care for Children in South Asia” that was convened by Udayan Care on March 16 & 17, 2018 at Amity University, Noida NCR (India).

Manual on Foster Care for Unaccompanied and Separated Children

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 01 Apr 2018

This Manual sets the minimum standards and policies for the protection and care of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) within a foster care arrangement in Malaysia.

Early Childhood Care and Development Standards (0-3 years)

Ghana Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, 01 Mar 2018

This document on 0 – 3 years standards was developed to complement the other existing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) documents which provide guidelines for caregivers in Ghana, including parents, towards achieving the developmental milestones or competencies within the age bracket 0-3.

Standard Operating Procedures for Inspection, Licensing, and Monitoring Residential Homes for Children in Ghana

Department of Social Welfare of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, 2018

These Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the inspection and monitoring of Residential Homes for Children (RHCs) in Ghana are intended to provide guidance to National, Regional and District DSW Officers on how to plan, conduct and report on RHC inspection and monitoring visits and how to enforce directives to either address gaps in compliance with the Standards and/or to close the RHC.

Barnahus Quality Standards: Guidance for Multidisciplinary and Interagency Response to Child Victims and Witnesses of Violence

Olivia Lind Haldorsson, Child Circle - Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat and Child Circle, 2018

Drawing on international and European law and guidance and the Barnahus model, this document introduces ten good practice standards, the “European Barnahus Standards”, for multidisciplinary and interagency services for child victims and witnesses of violence in Europe adapted to the child.

Animal Magic- Using the Health and Social Care Standards for Looked After Children

Mary Morris - Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 2018

This article celebrates the positive difference that being around and caring for animals can make for looked after children. It explores the benefits and makes a case for a proactive approach.

Children Without Parental Care: Protection, Safeguards and Best Practices

Jagannath Pati, 2018

This volume is an effort to highlight best practices for children without parental care.

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