Psychosocial Support

The best form of psychosocial support is a healthy family and supportive environment, preferably in the child's community of origin, or one that is culturally similar. Psychosocial well-being is a product of multiple support, which is rooted in the ability to form healthy relationships and participate in community networks.

However, certain considerations may be required in order to help children and caretakers come to terms with life-changing events, such as the loss of a parent. Separation can be highly stressful for children, particularly if it is unexpected, or repeated. Some children may experience anxiety, attachment problems, sleep disturbances, dependency issues, regression, and a range of other behavioural issues which threaten their mental health and development.

Specific types of support may be required for children suffering from loss, severe or chronic ill health, abuse or exploitation. The child’s experience, age, resilience, and the level of support received from the family and community will determine if a child needs external services. A child is far less likely to experience psychosocial stress if they have good natural support mechanisms and therefore protection efforts should focus on supporting families and communities to help each other.

When psychosocial support is needed, an assessment is important in determining the scope and type of issues, the existing family and community resources, and analysis of how these can be strengthened. Clinical mental health interventions such as therapy, psychiatry or psychological counseling, should only be provided by trained professionals after a clinical assessment and, in all cases, should be culturally relevant.

Psychosocial activities must promote the children’s development and their relationships with others, re-establish routines, increase self confidence and sense of control over their lives. Children’s activities, such as the provision of safe places, group work or referrals to specialists, should be designed around the child’s individual needs, age, gender, and cultural identity. Interventions should be empowering, inclusive, and fully integrated with wider community efforts. Children’s participation is essential in psychosocial work; children should be encouraged to express their opinions, and to have these taken into account.

The literature found here describes the psychosocial effects of separation, and other threats to children such as HIV/AIDS, conflict, abuse and exploitation, and provides guidance and examples of psychosocial interventions.

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Inter-Agency Statement on strengthening child protection systems in sub-Saharan Africa: A call to action to African Union States

Inter-Agency Working Group (list of organizations below), 01 Apr 2013

Thirteen agencies working in Africa have issued a Joint Statement calling on African governments to strengthen their child protection systems to secure the right of children to a life free from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in both emergency and non-emergency settings.

Le Renforcement des Systemes de Protection de l'Enfance en Afrique SubSaharienne: Un Appel a l'Action

Déclaration conjointe inter-agences* (liste en bas de page), 01 Apr 2013

Cette déclaration conjointe inter-agences a pour but de (i) de présenter une vision commune des systèmes de protection de l’enfance en Afrique subsaharienne et d’expliquer pourquoi ils sont importants et méritent des investissements et (ii) lancer un appel à l’action auprès des gouvernements, à l’Union africaine, aux communautés économiques régionales, aux institutions multilatérales, aux bailleurs de fonds, au secteur privé, aux institutions académiques, aux organisations de la société civile, aux communautés et aux groupes d’enfants et de jeunes organisés.

BCN , 01 Mar 2013

The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has submitted its fourth and fifth combined report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (dated 1st March 2013).

Early Care and Education: Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care

Zero to Three and the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, 27 Feb 2013

Zero to Three, a US based non profit organization working to inform, train and support professionals, policy makers and parents to improve the lives of infants and toddlers, combined the evidence from research on early childhood development with feedback from focus groups with families, friends, and neighbors who act as care givers to develop a range of practical resources to strengthen care practices with children between the ages of 0 and 3.

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Skillful Parenting and Molding Behavior at an Early Age: Bridging the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do

Parenting in Africa Network for the Ultimate Protection of Children , 01 Feb 2013

This new study by Parenting in Africa Network (PAN) was conducted in three regions in Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa and Busia), involving primary care givers of children age 0-8, children participating in Early Childhood Development and Education centers, and stakeholders and professionals involved in skillful parenting and early childhood development.

Nepal: Kinship Care at Community is Better Model to Ensure Psychosocial and Economic Security of Orphans Living with HIV than from Care Homes

Acharya SL, Pokhrel BR, Ayer R, Belbase P, Ghimire M, Gurung O, 29 Jan 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate which model of care and support is more appropriate for improving psychosocial and economic security of AIDS orphans in Nepal.

Family stressors and children's outcomes

Elizabeth Jones, Leslie Gutman, and Lucinda Platt , 2013

This new study from the Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre, an independent research center with funding from the United Kingdom Department for Education, identifies which family stress factors and parental behaviors are associated with positive and negative outcomes for children at the age of 7 and whether stressful life events experienced in childhood are associated with negative outcomes in adolescence.

Common Ground: UNICEF and World Bank Approaches to Building Social Protection Systems

Laura Rawlings, Human Development Network, World Bank and Sheila Murthy and Natalia Winder, Social Policy and Economic Analysis Unit, UNICEF, 2013

This brief outlines the common ground between the World Bank and UNICEF in their commitment in developing and strengthening social protection systems and calls on other stakeholders to engage collaboratively to build such systems and expand their coverage.

Child protection and out of home care: Policy, practice, and research connections Australia and New Zealand

Elizabeth Fernandez, Nicola Atwool, 2013

This article provides an outline of the early development of care and protection in Australia and New Zealand as a backdrop to an overview of child protection systems and policies and the current child protection profile in both countries. An overview of trends in relation to out of home care, including routes into care, care arrangements and permanency policies is provided.

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Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit

Child Welfare Collaborative Group, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and the California Social Work Education Center, 2013

The USA-based National Child Traumatic Stress Network has recently released a second edition of the Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit, which is part of the Child Welfare Trauma Training course. The course assists those in the field of child welfare who wish to learn more about child welfare and trauma.

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