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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Approaches for Psychosocial Support Towards Orphans and Vulnerable Children by Community-based Workers in the Vhembe District, South Africa

Lufuno Makhado, Ntsieni Stella Mashau, 29 Mar 2024

This qualitative exploratory-descriptive study outlines alternative approaches to psychosocial support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in four municipalities of Vhembe district in Limpopo Province, South Africa, in the form of community-based interventions.

Kafaalah Community Engagement Illustrations: Kisumu and Kilifi Counties

Changing the Way We Care, 29 Sep 2023

These illustrations from Changing the Way We Care and the Government of Kenya showcase live community engagement sessions on how to develop Kafaalah messages and promote Kafaalah for family-based care.

Practitioner Handbook for Alternative Family- and Community- Based Care

Changing the Way We Care, 29 Sep 2023

This handbook is a summarized, user-friendly version of the operating procedures for alternative family- and community-based care options. It provides an overview of each type of care, key considerations, and the process followed for placement. The handbook aims to provide an easy and quick reference to critical information and “how to” about alternative family- and community-based care placements.

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Alternative Family-based and Community-based Care of Children in Kenya

Changing the Way We Care, Republic of Kenya, 01 Aug 2023

The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Alternative Family-based and Community-based Care of Children in Kenya provide guidance for the comprehensive implementation of the Guidelines for Alternative Family Care for Children in Kenya (2014).

A Toolkit for Participatory Evaluation of Practice

Family for Every Child, 01 Mar 2023

Family for Every Child's new Participatory Evaluation Toolkit places the knowledge and experience of local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at its centre. It offers an alternative to traditional evaluation dynamics, by drawing on the strength of local solutions.

South American Panorama of Adoption Practices: Cases of Countries in Transformation

Child Identity Protection (CHIP), 01 Nov 2021

This research brought together the testimonies of adoption professionals (national and international) concerned with the situation of abandoned and placed children in five South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Peru. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the new realities of adoption, in a context where these countries have chosen to limit or stop their foreign adoption practices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Institutionalization of Children and Alternative Family-Based Care Options for Children in Kenya

Association for Alternative Family Care of Children, in collaboration with the National Council for Children Services and Department of Children’s Services, 01 Feb 2021

This booklet emphasizes the importance of family based care for the care of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Kenya, provides answers to regularly asked questions, and lists current government efforts to support OVC, including the policy and legal frameworks and existing forms of family and community-based care.

Community Mapping

Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), 2021

This document provides guidance on how to conduct a community mapping, a step in building a system to care for vulnerable children and families.

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.

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.