Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Social Welfare Spending
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Alternative Care Policy in line with the 2009 Guidelines
Law 54/2011 on the Rights and Protection of the Child and the Integrated Child Rights Policy and Strategic Plan (2011).
i
Rwanda has a strong, child rights-based legal and policy framework that has been strengthened and enhanced since 2010 to include a focus on the primary role of the family and family strengthening, family-based alternative care and poverty reduction. This includes the passage of two laws, the Child Rights and Protection Policy, and three national strategies encompassing child-care reform, family promotion and poverty reduction. Together these form a holistic, family-centred framework that includes preventive and response components in support of the care-reform effort. There is also strong support for social protection and early childhood development – this will further reinforce the care-reform effort by supporting the prevention of separation, and helping build the resilience and competencies of Rwandan families. Law 54/2011 on the Rights and Protection of the Child includes specific articles relating to prevention of separation, family support, alternative care and the social integration of children, many recognizing the specific rights of children in care.
Centralised authority on adoption
NCC
i
The NCC has an oversight role in domestic and inter-country adoption processes. There are no centralized data on the number of domestic adoptions in Rwanda. To date, formal domestic adoption has been processed at the sector level. Local authorities approve this and then the primary court approves the final legal process. At the time of writing, there was no system in place for collating information regarding the number of domestic adoptions upwards to national level.
Commitment to Deinstitutionalistion/Reforms
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Child-care reform has been prioritized by the highest level of government (i.e. by the President and Prime Minister), beginning with a National Children’s Forum where the issue of residential care was prioritized by children (BCN, 2015). The most recent child-care reform process was initiated in 2010. This phase was prompted by several key developments between 2010 and 2012. These included: the strengthening of a strong child rights-based legal and policy framework through the passage of the landmark Law 54/2011 on the Rights and Protection of the Child; accession to the 1993 Hague Convention for the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (HCIA); a successful pilot deinstitutionalization effort and a National Study on Residential Care; the establishment of the National Commission for Children (NCC) through the passage of Law 22/2011; and children’s voices advocating for family-based care for children at the 2011 National Children’s Summit.
Comprehensive child protection law
Law 54/2011 on the Rights and Protection of the Child and the Integrated Child Rights Policy and Strategic Plan (2011).
i
Rwanda has a strong, child rights-based legal and policy framework that has been strengthened and enhanced since 2010 to include a focus on the primary role of the family and family strengthening, family-based alternative care and poverty reduction. This includes the passage of two laws, the Child Rights and Protection Policy, and three national strategies encompassing child-care reform, family promotion and poverty reduction. Together these form a holistic, family-centred framework that includes preventive and response components in support of the care-reform effort. There is also strong support for social protection and early childhood development – this will further reinforce the care-reform effort by supporting the prevention of separation, and helping build the resilience and competencies of Rwandan families.
Continuum of alternative care services available
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Rwanda has a range of formal alternative care options for children including foster care, guardianship and residential care (including temporary shelter for street children). the ICRP in Article 2.6.1 recognizes and prioritizes the following alternative care options: a: Kinship care (children without parents placed in the care of extended family); b: Formal adoption within community/country; c: Placement in foster care within their communities; d: Inter-country adoption in accordance with international and national guidelines; and e: Institutional care as a last resort, with continuous effort placed on finding a different option. Because the foster-care guidelines have yet to be finalized, this care option appears to be at a relatively nascent stage and would benefit from more attention and thought around the different models of foster-care placements (e.g., emergency, short-term and long-term) and how those care options will be developed, provided and managed. Formal care is still primarily residential care, but this is changing as government encourages other forms of care and some local governments and/or residential care facilities are refusing new entrants.
Data System
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
To date, several different mechanisms have been used to collect information related to child protection and care, but these have yet to be collated into one central database. The NCC has a mandate to collect data related to children’s rights and protection. The NCC is also responsible for overseeing the child-rights data gathering and management, together with MIGEPROF and the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. The NCC is mandated to develop, in partnershipwith the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, a data management system for regular status reports on children and their rights. In 2014, the NCC collected data on Most Vulnerable Children. That data will be entered into the MVC database, will be analysed and will help to generate useful information that will be used by partners/Government to address the needs of the vulnerable children
Existence of a regulatory body and regulatory system
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Gatekeeping mechanism/policy
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Gatekeeping mechanisms have been developed and piloted in several districts and sectors across the country. The pilot deinstitutionalization project of HHC established child-care networks to function as gatekeeping mechanisms, and this model is being replicated – although it is likely to be named differently and address not just care issues but also child protection concerns. Beginning in 2014, the government has launched community based child protection structures (Inshuti Z’Umuryango (IZ)) that include para social work volunteers with the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of all children at village, cell and sector levels and paying particular attention to those at risk of separation and children whom have been reintegrated. Although volunteer in nature the IZ are linked with the formal sector
Means of tracking progress with reforms
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Moratorium on admission into institutions for children under 3
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Moratorium on new institutions
NO SOURCE GIVEN
National Action Plan
Strategy for Child Care Reform (2012); Tubarerere Mu Muryangyo (TMM) Let’s Raise Children in Families!
i
Led by the government, with active support from UNICEF, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs), the TMM is the guiding framework for the reform process.
National Standards of Care
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Prevention of Separation Services available
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Family strengthening services in Rwanda include: social protection and cash transfer programs, education enrolment, the Genocide Survivors Support and Assistance Fund (FARG), Positive deviance hearth groups (a community-based approach to address malnutrition in children under 5); Farmer field schools (FFS): FFS is a proven strategy for increasing household food production; Internal savings and lending groups (ISLGs), The DCOF-funded Ishema Mu Muryango (Pride for the Family) reintegration and family strengthening program, Hope and Homes for Children's Community Hub model, and more.
Support for careleavers (in legislation and in practice)
NO SOURCE GIVEN
