Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children

Learn about unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children for free

This course is about the care and protection of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children who are moving across and between countries. This course will provide an understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities these children face.

It will inform the improvement of policy, practice and delivery of support services that uphold children’s rights and meet their best interests. The course will provide examples of promising practice.

It will stimulate the exchange of ideas and experience between learners around the world and is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

This free course’s revenue will be donated to Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

What topics will you cover?

• Why unaccompanied and separated children are on the move, the risks they face and, how best to respond to their circumstances.
• Understanding the importance of offering a range of suitable alternative care options in a country and how this can offer protection to unaccompanied and separated children on the move.
• Illustrating examples of suitable alternative care and support for unaccompanied and separated children being practiced around the world.
• The skills those working with unaccompanied and separated children on the move should have.
• How to fully assess needs and vulnerabilities of unaccompanied and separated children and make decisions that are in their best interests.
• How to build coordination and cooperation between the humanitarian sector and alternative care professionals to improve responses to unaccompanied and separated children.

This course has been made possible by the Caring for Children Moving Alone MOOC Taskforce:

• Better Care Network
• CELCIS
• Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children
• Hope and Homes for Children (HHC)
• International Detention Coalition (IDC)
• International Federation of Educative Communities (FICE)
• IFRC
• International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
• International Organisation on Migration (IOM)
• International Social Service (ISS)
• Latin American Foster Care Network (RELAF)
• Save the Children
• SOS Children’s Villages International
• Terre des hommes (TdH)
• UNHCR
• UNICEF

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

• Identify specific risks, vulnerabilities and support needs of unaccompanied and separated children on the move and the application of different appropriate responses.

• Apply the content and meaning of relevant international and national legislation and agreements.

• Explore the principles outlined in the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and discover how suitable care can contribute to the protection of children.

• Identify a range of promising practices in relation to suitable alternative care settings that meet the needs, wishes and circumstances of each individual unaccompanied and separated child on the move.