The article reports that the ongoing US-Israeli war in the Middle East is having a severe and long-lasting impact on children across the region, with hundreds killed and thousands injured and over a million displaced, particularly in Lebanon, Gaza

This paper examines how broader economic and labour market forces influence family separation and the placement of children in residential care in Cambodia, amid ongoing child care deinstitutionalisation reforms. While global evidence highlights the harm caused by residential care and promotes family and community-based alternatives, Cambodia’s reform efforts remain largely reactive and institution-focused, paying limited attention to structural drivers of family separation.

Children in Europe and Central Asia who are at risk of, in, or transitioning from alternative care face significantly higher rates of mental health challenges, which can contribute to family separation, placement instability, and poor reintegration outcomes. This paper highlights the urgent need to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) across the continuum of care and provides practical, evidence-based guidance for governments and practitioners to embed mental health promotion, prevention, and care into child protection systems.

This study assessed the physical health status of children residing in orphanage homes in Lucknow district, India. It found while most had normal nutritional status, many faced challenges, including high school dropout rates, signs of micronutrient deficiencies, and poor oral hygiene.

This Guardian article examines Japan’s landmark legal reform allowing divorced parents to negotiate joint custody for the first time, ending a decades-long system that granted sole custody typically to mothers and often cut off the other parent from a child’s life.

This study compares posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcomes among adolescents affected by an earthquake, finding that those in residential care experienced more persistent symptoms and higher psychiatric comorbidities than peers living with families. It highlights the role of prior adversity—particularly physical neglect—as a key predictor of PTSD and underscores the need for further research to better support vulnerable children in care after disasters.

This review examines 43 documents on leaving care in Asia, highlighting limited research and significant gaps in policies and practices supporting care leavers. It finds that while some aftercare support exists, insufficient attention is given to young people’s physical and mental health, underscoring the need for stronger, context-specific policies and research in the region.

Over the past year, the Leadership Dialogue Series, hosted by Miracle Foundation India and India Alternative Care Network (IACN), has brought together leaders from government, civil society, academia, youth, philanthropy, and the private sector to reflect on how systems can better strengthen families and prevent the unnecessary separation of children. As they conclude the 2025-26 series, the 10th edition of Leadership Dialogues will focus on a critical question: How do we know if family strengthening efforts are truly working?

This article reviews 43 grey literature sources on care-leaving policies and practices in Asia, addressing a major gap in research from the Global South. It finds that while some aftercare supports exist, they are uneven and often overlook young people’s physical and mental health needs, with important implications for improving policy, practice, and future research.

This article reports on a new collaboration between the Catholic Church in Thailand and UNICEF to address ongoing gaps in child protection systems, particularly those affecting vulnerable and marginalized children in a context of persistent social