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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¿A quién le importa? Perspectivas del niño y la familia sobre el cuidado efectivo, quién lo brinda y por qué es importante

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

Pese a que hay un consenso sobre la importancia del cuidado efectivo en las familias para los niños, existe una falta de discusión y acuerdo sobre los componentes precisos de este cuidado. Este informe contribuye a debatir sobre este importante tema al proporcionar perspectivas de los grupos focales con 198 niños y 81 adultos de Brasil, Colombia, Egipto, México, Rusia, Ruanda y Zimbabue.

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.

ABLE: Inclusive Family-Based Care for Children with Disabilities

Better Care Network, 19 Mar 2019

Presented at the UN Human Rights Council side event on Promoting Quality Alternative Care for Children with Disabilities on 5 March 2019, this video highlights the work of ABLE, a program of the Cambodian NGO Children in Families that provides inclusive family-based care for children with disabilities.

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Using African Ubuntu Theory in Social Work with Children in Zimbabwe

Mugumbate, Jacob and Chereni, Admire - African Journal of Social Work, 26 Feb 2019

This article discusses the use of Ubuntu theory in social work with children in Africa.

Empowering children with disabilities for the enjoyment of their human rights, including through inclusive education: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , 22 Jan 2019

In the present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 37/20, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights provides an overview of the legal framework and practical measures to empower children with disabilities.

The impact of inheritance experiences in orphans and vulnerable children support in Zimbabwe: A caregivers' perspective

John Ringson - Child & Family Social Work, 15 Jan 2019

This article is a qualitative phenomenological study seeking to examine the perceptions, views, and feelings of the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers on their lived experiences in OVC care and support in Zimbabwe.

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Situation Analysis of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Existing Alternative Care Systems in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Mariana Josephat Makuu - Social Work and Society International Online Journal, 2019

The objective of this paper is to examine the situation of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in existing alternative care systems and explore the treatment of OVC in these systems.

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Traditional Fostering in a Post-Conflict Context: The Case of Laroo-Pece Women’s Association in Northern Uganda

Ronald Luwangula, Janestic M. Twikirize and Justus Twesigye - Social Work Practice in Africa: Indigenous and Innovative Approaches , 2019

This chapter from Social Work Practice in Africa: Indigenous and Innovative Approaches presents a traditional fostering model adopted by a group of women in Northern Uganda, analysing its potential for building resilience and for contributing to social capital and social development within the broad context of post-conflict situations.

#ItTakesAVillage: VCPCtoolkit

Leher, 2019

This Virtual Companion Tool Kit for child protection committees at the village (VCPCs) is a knowledge kit aimed at strengthening community-led child protection mechanisms.