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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Meeting Report of the Rwanda Learning and Consultation Workshop

National Commission for Children, Save the Children, Better Care Network, 27 Nov 2014

As part of the work of the BCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Initiative, the National Commission for Children in partnership with BCN, and Save the Children convened a national consultative workshop in Kigali, Rwanda on 26 and 27 November 2014. This report presents a summary of the main priority outcomes which were identified by participants during the meeting, including: evidence building and sharing, strengthening advocacy, and strengthening capacity.

The right of children to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Turkey Country Presentaion

10 Nov 2014

On 10 September 2014, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria co-hosted a high level Lunchtime Discussion on The right of children below three years to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The discussion took place on the margins of the September meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board and brought together over 80 participants, including members of the UNICEF Executive Board, representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN from the CEE/CIS region, international organizations, NGOs, high level UNICEF and National Committee staff.

Key Research on Orphanages and Family Care: An Annotated Bibliography

Faith to Action Initiative, 01 Jul 2014

This resource is provided as a working bibliography of key research and evidence-based policy papers on the care of orphans and other vulnerable children separated from parental care.

Deinstitutionalization in Croatia: A Summary of Open Society Support

– Judith E. Klein – Open Society Foundation, 01 Jul 2014

This paper examines the benefits and challenges of de-institutionalizing disability residential services in Croatia through Open Society Foundation’s Mental Health Initiative (MHI).

Deinstitutionalization of Children in Bulgaria: How Far and Whereto?

UNICEF, 01 Jun 2014

This Review, commissioned by UNICEF Bulgaria, is aimed at informing the recommendations for the Bulgarian Government’s Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy ‘Vision for Deinstitutionalisation of Children in Bulgaria.’

The Nurture and Protection of Children in Islam: Perspectives from Islamic Sources

Avner Giladi - Child Abuse and Neglect Journal, Volume 38, Issue 4, 21 May 2014

This article outlines a few of the common values and principles that provide the foundation for Muslim understandings of child–adult relationships and approaches to child protection and nurture.

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Jewish Provisions for Protecting Children: Modern Rabbis Advocate Non-Violence

Elliot N. Dorff - Child Abuse and Neglect Journal, Volume 38, Issue 4, 20 May 2014

This article explores what Judaism’s communal orientation means for the protection of children.

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The Church and Child Protection: The Safe Families Story

David Anderson - Child Abuse and Neglect Journal, Volume 38, Issue 4, 09 May 2014

This article highlights the historical role churches have played in child protection stemming from biblical teachings and mandates as well as a current example of church involvement in child protection.

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Renforcer les communautés pour soutenir les familles

SOS Villages d'Enfants , 01 May 2014

Comment les réseaux sociaux solides soutiennent les enfants d’Afrique subsaharienne et leurs familles. Les enfants et les familles vulnérables ont besoin d’un système de soutien social qui réponde aux problèmes qu’ils rencontrent grâce à des solutions efficaces et durables. Les observations présentées dans ce rapport sont un « cliché instantané » des pratiques prometteuses en matière de développement et de pérennité de la communauté.

Deinstitutionalization in Croatia: A Summary of Open Society Support

Open Society Foundations, 01 May 2014

This paper examines the work Open Society Foundations have done in Croatia as part of its Mental Health Initiative (MHI), with the goal of helping people with disabilities return to their communities where they are support