Community Based Care Mechanisms

The Guidelines for the Alternative Care for Children highlight the importance of providing children with care within family-type settings in their own communities. This allows girls and boys to maintain ties with natural support networks such as relatives, friends and neighbours, and minimizes disruption to their education, cultural and social life. Keeping children within their communities (ideally as close as possible to their original homes), also allows girls and boys to stay in touch with their families, and facilitates potential reintegration.

Examples from around the world demonstrate that there are many ways children without adequate family care can be supported within their own communities. This includes both formal and informal arrangements such as foster care, kinship care, domestic adoption/Kafala, guardianship, supervised independent living, child-headed households and small group homes.

These practices can be supported through a range of formal measures including social protection schemes (e.g. child sensitive cash transfers), family strengthening services, community based rehabilitation services for children with disabilities, respite care, training for caregivers, and policies that support families in alternative care-taking roles. Increasing access to free education and health services, and establishing social assistance programmes to reduce poverty, can also help the poorest caregivers to support children within the community.

In the absence of well-developed care and child protection systems in many countries, community based mechanisms can also play a key role supporting children and caretakers in alternative care situations. Child protection Committees, faith based organizations, civil society groups, volunteer associations and other community based groups can provide financial or practical support through schemes that help to fund children’s education or health costs, link them to support services or social assistance schemes, and provide mentorship and family counseling. Home visits and caretaker support groups can also play a valuable role, while awareness raising efforts to promote children’s rights (particularly if supported by community and religious leaders), can help to reduce discrimination against girls and boys in alternative care arrangements – particularly those with disabilities or from minority groups.

As long as they are not over-burdened or given responsibilities beyond their competence, community-based groups can provide vital support to children in alternative care situations. Often however, they are hampered by weak organizational procedures, limited technical capacity and poor coordination. Continued efforts by governments, NGOs and international agencies are needed to promote their institutional development and to enhance their ability to support children.

The literature in this section describes a range of care arrangements that enable children to receive adequate care within their own communities, and community support initiatives that help to sustain them.

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Prevention of Child-Family Separation through Community-Based Social Work

Better Care Network, 30 Sep 2020

In this video, Grace Mwangi shares key lessons from her experience working in community-based social work with children and families at risk of separation in Kenya.

Essence and Scope of Strengthening Community-Based Preventive Child Care and Protection Systems in India

Ranjan Kanti Panda, Lopamudra Mullick, Subhadeep Adhikari, Neepa Basu, Archana Kumari - Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, 04 Apr 2020

This article reflects different programmes and resource components that may be promoted to keep children with either their own family or within alternative family care, satisfying the rights of their overall development.

What Can Donors Do? The Role of Donors in Advocating for Family and Community-Based Care in South Asia

Ghazal Keshavarzian & Joel Borgström - Institutionalised Children Explorations and Beyond, 04 Apr 2020

This article will make a case for investing in families and communities rather than orphanages by putting a spotlight on ECFG member investments in Asia.

Efficacy of the Extended Family System in Supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Zimbabwe: An Indigenous Knowledge Perspective

Ringson, John and Chereni, Admire - African Journal of Social Work, 20 Feb 2020

This paper examines the efficacy of extended family system in OVC care and support in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe.

The Better Future International’s family care model in Tanzania: Creating social capital as a means to empowerment in social work practice

Barbara Kail, Manoj Pardasani, Robert Chazin - International Social Work, 19 Feb 2020

This article describes the impact on social services of an innovative model of family care in Moshi, Tanzania, aimed at orphaned children and youth who are affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers.

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Parenting into Two Worlds: How Practices of Kinship Fostering Shape Development in Namibia, Southern Africa

Jill Brown, Abril Rangel-Pacheco, Olivia Kennedy, Ndumba Kamwanyah - Parents and Caregivers Across Cultures, 05 Feb 2020

This chapter examines the cultural logic of child care in Africa, focusing on one variation of fosterage, okutekula, among the Ova-ambo in Northern Namibia.

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Checklist to ensure EU-funded measures contribute to independent living by developing and ensuring access to family-based and community-based services

European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care with Hope and Homes for Children, 01 Nov 2019

The purpose of this checklist from the European Expert Group on the transition from institutional to community-based care, with Hope and Homes for Children, is to ensure EU funds in the 2021-2027 programming period contribute to independent living and inclusion in the community, including by supporting desk officers to check the consistency of the measures to transition from institutional to family-based and community-based services for children and the prevention of institutionalisation and separation of children, including with disabilities, from their families.

The Undiluted African Community: Values, The Family, Orphanage and Wellness in Traditional Africa

Racheal Mafumbate - Information and Knowledge Management, 30 Sep 2019

This paper reviews related literature on the African extended family system and how it caters for orphans in their communities.

Gender Equality in Practice of Child Clubs, Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms and Parents/Caregivers Groups

Robin Mauney, Rachan Srun - Plan International, 01 Jun 2019

The purpose of this study is to better understand how gender inequality impacts the Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms in Cambodia, its child clubs and caregiver groups and how programming should be targeted to being gender transformative – changing social norms that promote gender inequality.

Who Cares? Child and family perspectives on effective care, who provides it and why it matters

Gillian Mann and Emma de Vise-Lewis - Family for Every Child, 01 Jun 2019

There is extensive research demonstrating clearly the importance of a safe and caring family for child wellbeing and development. While there is consensus on the importance of effective care in families for children, there is a lack of discussion and agreement about the precise components of this care. This report contributes to debates on the components of family care by providing perspectives from nearly 200 children and over 80 adults from Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The report demonstrates that there are many commonalities in perspectives on and experiences of care across contexts.