Exploring the Policy Environment Deficit Associated with the Care of Children by Grandparents in Libode, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Aseza Soganga & Simon Murote Kang’ethe

This study explores the policy environment for children cared for by grandparents in Libode, Eastern Cape, South Africa, finding no specific policies to guide or support such caregiving. It recommends developing dedicated policies, resources, and information to better equip grandparents, while contributing new insights to scholarship and informing policymakers.

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Strengthening Child Protection for Children with Disabilities in Sri Lanka: Insights from Expert Interviews

Noriko Hatanaka and Ian Forber-Pratt

This article examines challenges in Sri Lanka’s child protection system for children with disabilities, drawing on insights from 11 professionals to identify critical gaps in policy, services, and societal attitudes. It proposes eight practical, cost-conscious strategies to strengthen disability-inclusive protection aligned with the UN CRPD, offering lessons for global child protection reform.

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Kafaalah Community Engagement Facilitator’s Flipbook

Ms. Khadija Karama, Ms. Diane Rop, Ms. Fidelis Muthoni, and Ms. Jane Munuhe

The Kafaalah Community Engagement Facilitator's Flipbook is a practical guide designed to support trained facilitators—such as Children Officers, Imams, Ustadh, Ustadhas, and other Muslim community leaders—in delivering community sessions on the Kafaalah. It offers structured guidance for engaging male caregivers, female caregivers, and children through interactive sessions.

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Kafaalah Facilitator’s Guide: A Family-Based Care Option for Children in Kenya

Ms. Khadija Karama, Ms. Diane Rop, and Ms. Jane Munuhe

The Kafaalah Facilitator’s Guide is part of a training package to strengthen understanding and implementation of Kafaalah, a family-based alternative care option for children in Kenya. Developed by the Government of Kenya with support from Changing the Way We Care, it provides structured session plans, tools, and activities to help child protection professionals and community members effectively promote and practice Kafaalah.

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Family relationships between normative orientations and lived diversity – experiences of care leavers with their mothers and fathers

Stephan Sting, Georg Streissguertl , Julia Weissnar

This article examines how care leavers navigate their relationships with biological mothers and fathers. It is based on a qualitative study from Austria, which focused on social networks and family relationships of 18-to 27-year-old care-experienced youth.

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Understanding the burden of COVID-19 orphanhood and caregiver loss among children and adolescents living in South Africa

Christina Laurenzi, Ramsha Hisham, Tatenda Mawoyo, et al.

This study examined the short-term impacts of COVID-19-related orphanhood on children and adolescents in peri-urban Khayelitsha, South Africa, finding that those who lost a parent or primary caregiver experienced significantly greater mental health burdens, food insecurity, caregiving responsibilities, and engagement in social risk behaviours compared to peers without such loss.

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The Resilience of the Mind: Understanding Cognitive Strength in Abused Orphaned Children in Foster Care

Jaya Bharti, Manisha Sharma

This study explores the experiences of exploited orphans in institutional care in India and the factors that contribute to their cognitive resilience, using qualitative interviews with 20 children aged 12–16. Findings show that resilience is shaped by problem-solving skills, goal setting, self-regulation, peer support, education, and stable caregiving, highlighting the need for policies and interventions that strengthen both individual and environmental supports.

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The Social Challenge of Unaccompanied and Separated Migrant Children in South Africa: Implications for Social Work

Ntobeko Bambeni

This paper reviews the challenges faced by unaccompanied and separated migrant children (USMC) in South Africa and the implications for social work practice. It highlights how social workers often lack adequate training and resources to meet the complex, multicultural needs of USMC, emphasizing cross-cultural social work as the most appropriate model for support.

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