Reunification can be a pivotal transition for children, young people, and their families. A return home is not a single event: it is a process that requires careful assessment, purposeful planning, shared decision-making, and sustained support before, during, and after a child returns home. This Practice Guide focuses on reunification.

This brief examines how armed conflict affects children’s development and family life, drawing on attachment theory and insights from the war in Ukraine. It highlights both the harms of war and the resilience of families, emphasizing the need for targeted support to help caregivers and professionals provide safe, stable care for children during and after conflict.

This report examines the characteristics, circumstances, and support needs of children and families involved in Special Guardianship Orders (SGOs) project in Wales. It aims to strengthen understanding of factors that influence children’s long-term outcomes and inform more effective support services for kinship care families.

This report explores the attitudes, motivations, and practices of Irish Christians in supporting children in overseas care, particularly in residential institutions. The report finds that while many are driven by compassion, faith-based values, and a desire to help vulnerable children, there is often limited awareness of the potential harms of institutional care and the benefits of family-based alternatives.

This U.S. Department of State report outlines ongoing efforts related to the protection and welfare of Ukrainian children affected by the war, with a particular focus on intercountry adoption, trafficking risks, and child protection systems.

This study examines the long-term effects of early institutional care in Zurich, finding that infants exposed to severe psychosocial deprivation faced significantly higher mortality risk and lost an estimated 12 years of life compared to peers raised in the community. It highlights that lack of nurturing interaction in early childhood has lasting consequences into adulthood, underscoring the critical importance of responsive care for child health and survival.

This study examines the prevalence and risk factors associated with child sexual exploitation (CSE) among adolescents living in residential care facilities in northern Spain, finding that nearly one in five participants reported experiencing some form of exploitation in the previous year. It highlights the need for targeted prevention, screening, professional training, and trauma-informed interventions that address the multiple vulnerabilities faced by young people in care.

This study estimated the reported prevalence of child sexual exploitation among adolescents in residential care facilities in a northern region of Spain and identified associated risk factors. Findings underscore the urgent need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies addressing child sexual exploitation among youth in residential care.

This UNICEF Bosnia and Herzegovina story follows the journey of foster care as a pathway to belonging for children who cannot live with their biological families, focusing on how stable, family-based care can transform a child’s sense of safety, identity, and future.

This article explores how out-of-home care systems across five countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States) approach cultural care for children, examining the organisational structures, leadership, and practices that support or hinder children’s connections to their culture, family, and community. Drawing on interviews with service providers, it highlights key drivers of effective practice and offers practical tools and insights for strengthening culturally responsive, system-wide approaches to safeguarding children’s identity and wellbeing.