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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Building a User-Friendly and Government-Owned Case Management System for Highly Vulnerable Children: The Yekokeb Berhan Program Experience in Ethiopia

Kelley Bunkers & Suzanne Andrews - 4Children/CRS, 01 Jun 2017

This case study describes the coordinated care and case management system for highly vulnerable children and their caregivers implemented by the Yekokeb Berhan program in Ethiopia.

Working Paper: Myth-busting? Confronting Six Common Perceptions about Unconditional Cash Transfers as a Poverty Reduction Strategy in Africa

Sudhanshu Handa, Silvio Daidone, Amber Peterman, Benjamin Davis, Audrey Pereira, Tia Palermo, and Jennifer Yablonski on behalf of the Transfer Project - UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, 01 Jun 2017

This report summarizes evidence on six perceptions associated with cash transfer programming, using eight rigorous evaluations conducted on large-scale government unconditional cash transfers in sub-Saharan Africa, under the Transfer Project.

From Assessment to Graduation: Comprehensive Case Management for Vulnerable Children and Households – The Score Project in Uganda

Suzanne Andrews - 4Children/CRS, 01 Jun 2017

This case study describes the case management system developed by the Sustainable Comprehensive Responses for Vulnerable Children and their Families (SCORE) project in Uganda.

The Economic Case for the Expansion of Social Protection Programmes

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and UNICEF, 18 May 2017

This brief brings together the critical mass of evidence emerging from recent rigorous impact evaluations of government-run cash transfer programmes in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Household Economic Strengthening Interventions in Programs to Reintegrate Children in Family Care and Prevent Family-Child Separation: A Brief Report on Responses to an Online Survey

Lisa Laumann, Emily Namey and Eunice Okumu, FHI 360, 01 Mar 2017

In November 2015, ASPIRES launched an online survey of practitioners to identify potential sources of learning and to assess needs for improving the use of economic strengthening (ES) interventions in reintegration and prevention of separation programming. This brief report summarizes the findings of this survey.

Achievements and Implications of Care and Support Programme among Orphans and Vulnerable Children: A Systematic Evaluation of HAF II Project in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Ademola L. Adelekan et al. - Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science , 25 Feb 2017

This article presents the achievements of a care and support programme among orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Bayelsa State, Nigeria as well as the implications for future programming.

Preventing Household Violence: Promising Strategies for Humanitarian Settings

Khudejha Asghar, Beth Rubenstein and Lindsay Stark - Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, CPC Learning Network, UNICEF, 01 Feb 2017

This report presents and reviews 43 interventions addressing household violence within the context of humanitarian emergencies, including a range of programs focused on parenting education and support and economic strengthening.

Can cash break the cycle of educational risks for young children in high HIV–affected communities? A cross–sectional study in South Africa and Malawi

Lorraine Sherr, Mark Tomlinson, Ana Macedo, Sarah Skeen, Imca Sifra Hensels, and Lucie Dale Cluver - Journal of Global Health, 2017

This study describes the impact of cash grants and parenting quality on 854 children aged 5–15 (South African and Malawi) on educational outcomes including enrolment, regular attendance, correct class for age and school progress (controlling for cognitive performance).

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Isibindi's Family Strengthening Approach

Isibindi Project - National Association of Child Care Workers, 2017

This brief summarises key findings of a qualitative study of the family strengthening approach of the Isibindi model.

Could cash and good parenting affect child cognitive development? A cross-sectional study in South Africa and Malawi

Lorraine Sherr, Ana Macedo, Mark Tomlinson, Sarah Skeen, and Lucie Dale Cluver - BMC Pediatrics, 2017

This study explored the impact of cash grants on children’s cognitive development. Additionally, the authors examined whether combined cash and care (operationalised as good parenting) was associated with improved cognitive outcomes.