This paper provides a comparative analysis of social work professionalization in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. By examining the different approaches across the countries, policymakers will have examples of practices that have been effective elsewhere and adopt these to suit the context of Malaysia.

The SNEH: Supporting Nurturing Enabling Happy Families compendium was developed by Miracle Foundation India as part of the first National Family Summit to showcase progress, insights, and best practices in advancing family-based care and child protection reforms in India. It builds on lessons from its “Leadership Dialogue” series and collaborations with government, civil society, and care-experienced youth.

This study aimed to highlight the challenges faced by care leavers due to the absence of or inadequate aftercare support during the transition, which increases care leavers’ vulnerabilities to homelessness, unemployment, substance misuse and ruptured social relationships.

UNICEF Malaysia is seeking an international consultant to provide high-level technical support on alternative care, including strategy development, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and technical assistance on de-institutionalisation and reforming of the alternative care system in Malaysia.

This article explores the complex landscape of alternative care for orphaned and vulnerable children in Afghanistan against the backdrop of prolonged conflict, political turmoil and socio-economic challenges.

This study explored the experiences of 14 adolescents living in a ci'aiyuan childcare institution in Xiangxi, China, finding that it sometimes fostered supportive relationships, enhanced perceived social support, and facilitated positive life changes. While these accounts challenge dominant negative views of institutional care, the study emphasizes the need to address ongoing complexities and challenges in such settings.

India Alternative Care Network (IACN) is calling for contributions to the 17th edition of IACN Quarterly. If you are a practitioner, academician, researcher, civil society organization, or a funder and wish to share learning, information, interventions, case studies, perspectives, and knowledge resources on children without parental care or at risk of separation, email your submission to iacnsecretariat@iacn.in on or before January 10, 2025.

Adoptees return to find a society that no longer recognises them, legally or socially

In this book, Kathryn E. Goldfarb examines how child welfare systems, including those in Japan, do not always lead to well-being and can leave people feeling isolated despite efforts to support children and families. The book highlights the importance of relational well-being and shows how individuals create new forms of kinship and connection when traditional family ties are absent.

This study evaluates the shelter conditions and caregiver–orphan relationships in orphanages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings indicate that while most orphans are satisfied with basic shelter, their relational and developmental needs are often unmet, highlighting the need for well-trained residential care staff and the recommendation that institutional care be used only as a last resort to support successful reintegration into communities.