The first regional Rise Up Policy Forum + Huddle will take place in Africa, from 24-26 June 2026 in Kampala, Uganda. The Forum + Huddle will explore the contexts, strengths, challenges and solutions specific to the African region, convening African child protection expertise, promoting strong national child protection systems, and creating a regional dialogue aimed at transforming child protection into a more data-informed, collaborative, and preventive system. 

June 17-18, 2026

The Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), together with the Government of Rwanda, UNESCO, UNICEF, WHO, and the Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN), is hosting Investing in the Early Years: A Global

This study examines child safeguarding practices in Catholic dioceses in Kenya, finding that although safeguarding policies and support systems exist, only a small proportion of church personnel have received formal training. The research highlights ongoing risks—including sexual abuse, child labour, neglect, and early marriage—and identifies resource constraints, cultural resistance, and institutional barriers as key challenges to effective safeguarding.

This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with physical violence against orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Namibia, using data from 16,507 participants in the Reach program. Findings show that 10.9% of OVC experienced recent physical abuse, with variation across districts and age groups, highlighting the need for targeted violence‑prevention campaigns, community-level behavior change initiatives, and regular regional assessments to address localized drivers of violence.

This paper introduces an Advocacy Reach Calculator developed by ChildFund International to estimate how many children and families benefit from child protection policy changes. It outlines the tool’s development and pilot testing in four countries, showing how it can support better monitoring, planning, and advocacy efforts.

This qualitative case study in Arua City, Uganda, explores how parenting practices contribute to the persistence of street children, drawing on interviews with 30 street-connected children as well as parents and community leaders. Findings show that poverty, neglect, abuse, weak supervision, and family breakdown—combined with push factors like hunger and domestic violence and pull factors such as peer networks and perceived economic opportunity—drive children to the streets, underscoring the need for strengthened family support, community protection systems, and parental economic empowerment.

This article tells the story of Nigerian missionaries Olusola and Chinwe Stevens, who have spent three decades rescuing babies and young children in central Nigeria from harmful traditional beliefs that label them as “cursed” and sometimes lead to

This article reviews global evidence on the impacts of institutional care versus family-based alternatives and examines how these findings inform foster care reform in Ogun State, Nigeria. It synthesizes research from 2009–2025 to identify key developmental outcomes, implementation lessons, and policy priorities for transitioning away from institutional care.

In Kenya, young people’s experiences of residential care and life after leaving care highlight trade-offs between material support, emotional guidance, and personal freedom. The study emphasizes that family strengthening and individualized case management are crucial to support children reunifying with families and successfully transitioning out of residential care.