Household Economic Strengthening

Poverty is a leading cause of child separation. Families may be torn apart by the stresses of trying to provide for their basic needs, and children may be abandoned or exploited for financial purposes. Household economic strengthening aims to reduce a family’s vulnerability to poverty, increase economic independence, and improve people’s ability to provide for their children.

Economic strengthening alone will not prevent separation or protect children, and should form part of a comprehensive support package, including psychosocial work, community mobilisation, education, health, and family support. Household economic strengthening should also complement the wider government social assistance programmes, welfare sector initiatives, and child care policies. Beneficiaries should include those families which are destitute, poor, or vulnerable to poverty, including child headed households.

Economic empowerment is not possible without the active participation of the community in ensuring that those most in need are identified and that families are willing to commit to projects. Any initiative must have sustainability at its core; there must be a market demand for products and services, and activities should build on the existing strengths and resources of the community.

Household economic strengthening includes activities which help a family restore, improve and maintain their income, and build savings and assets. Projects may consist of relief assistance, grants and loans for income generating activities, technical and skills training, registered credit and savings associations, and legal advice on inheritance and property rights. Ideally such guidance and resources should come from specialised local organisations that can facilitate market research, identify those in need and the type of assistance required, and provide sustainable long-term support to beneficiaries.

The literature contained in this section offers recommendations and examples of household economic strengthening projects which support the protection of children.

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Promoting Synergies between Child Protection and Social Protection: West and Central Africa

UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, 01 Feb 2009

Focuses on children’s vulnerabilities and risks related to an absence of protection from violence, abuse and neglect, and the ways in which measures to address such vulnerabilities and risks can be more effectively integrated into social protection policy frameworks in the West and Central Africa region.

Communiqué: Social Welfare and Cash Transfer Meeting, Carmona Spain

Carmona Social Welfare and Cash Transfer Meeting Participants, 04 Jan 2009

Experts gathered in Carmona Spain to examine the results of policy relevant systemic reviews on social welfare and cash transfers. Meeting delegates explored the findings of reviews on integration of social welfare services and cash transfers in Ghana, Chile, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya.

India: The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): A centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government-Civil Society Partnership

The Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development , 2009

In 2006 the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development proposed the adoption of an Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), which was adopted and launched by the central government in 2009-2010. Recognizing chronic under funding of child protection services in the country and major gaps in the system, the ICPS was expected to significantly contribute to the realization of Government/State responsibility by creating a system that would effectively and efficiently protect children.

Children and AIDS: Third Stocktaking Report

UNICEF, 01 Dec 2008

Examines data on progress, emerging evidence, and current knowledge and practice for children as they relate to four programme areas

Why Do Separated Children Matter? A Policy Briefing Paper

EveryChild, 01 Nov 2008

Evaluation of the need for increased understanding and inclusive responses to highly marginalized and separated children.

Perspectives for Social Protection in West and Central Africa

Anthony Hodges, UNICEF, 01 Oct 2008

Assesses constraints and opportunities for social protection programming regionally with particular consideration for child sensitive social protection.

African Social Services in Peril: A Study of the Department of Social Welfare in Ghana under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

Siobhan E. Laird - Journal of Social Work, 01 Oct 2008

Using Ghana as an illustrative case study, this article examines the ideology and intentions which underpin the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper required for approval by the IMF and World Bank to qualify for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative. This article critically examines the functions assigned to governmental and non-governmental agencies within the social sector generally and the Department of Social Welfare specifically.

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Living with Our Bibi

Glynis Clacherty, 30 Apr 2008

A qualitative study of children living with grandmothers in the Nshamba area of northwestern Tanzania