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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National Standards for Residential Homes for Children in Ghana

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

The revised Standards outlined in this document are aimed at strengthening the first National Standards for Residential Homes for Children (RHC) in Ghana, developed in 2010.

Country Care Review: Moldova

Better Care Network, 10 Nov 2017

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on the Right of the Child at their recent examinations of the State's report.

Country Care Review: Luxembourg

Better Care Network, 10 Oct 2017

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.

Violence Against Children in All Care Settings: Africa Expert Consultation (Annex)

African Child Policy Forum & Better Care Network, 09 Oct 2017

This Annex compiles the presentations delivered at the 21-22 June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence Against Children in All Care Settings and is intended to accompany the Final Report of the meeting.

Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children in All Care Settings in Africa: A Call to Action

Inter-Agency Group, 09 Oct 2017

Resulting from the June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence against Children in All Care Settings and adopted by all participants, this Declaration calls upon leaders at national, sub-regional, pan-African and global levels for further action to fulfill their obligation to protect children against violence in all care settings, with emphasis on alternative care.

Violence Against Children in All Care Settings: Africa Expert Consultation (Final Report)

African Child Policy Forum & Better Care Network, 09 Oct 2017

This report describes the details of the Africa Expert Consultation: Violence Against Children in All Care Settings, which took place 21-22 June 2017.

Innocenti Research Brief – Parenting Interventions: How well do they transport from one country to another?

Frances Gardner - UNICEF, 01 Oct 2017

This brief summarizes recent findings from two global, systematic reviews on the effectiveness of parenting interventions.

Care Reform in Moldova: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation & USAID, 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Moldova, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.

Care Reform in Ghana: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation and USAID, 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Ghana, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.

Care Reform in Uganda: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation and USAID , 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Uganda, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.