Global Parenting Support Framework

UNICEF and Parenting for Lifelong Health

This Framework outlines how countries can build strong, coherent, multisectoral systems that ensure all parents and caregivers have access to the support needed to raise children in safe and nurturing environments, providing a shared foundation for aligning policies, financing, workforce development and service delivery across health, education, social protection, child protection and community-based services.

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Family Network Pilot Evaluation Initial research report

Alma Verian

The Family Network Pilot (FNP) aims to help UK children stay safely within their extended families and prevent entry into care by providing Family Group Conferences and Family Network Support Packages. This report evaluates the pilot’s implementation, processes, and impacts across seven local authorities, using qualitative research and monitoring data analysis.

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Voices of Care Leavers: Ageing with Dignity after Childhood Institutionalisation

Philip Mendes, Susan Baidawi, Sarah Morris, and Lena Turnbull

This report explores how childhood institutional care negatively shapes health, well‑being, housing, and social outcomes well into older adulthood for people now aged 50 and above in Australia. It argues for a shift away from institutional aged care and towards trauma‑informed, person‑centered home or community care — designed with and for care leavers — to uphold dignity and improve long-term quality of life.

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A Home Away From Home: How Children Feel When They Cannot Live at Home

Pascale M. J. Engel de Abreu, Cyril Wealer, and Robert Kumsta

This study explores how children living in children’s homes in Luxembourg experience their daily lives, revealing that while many feel sad or worried, they also demonstrate resilience and the ability to find joy. The findings highlight that children feel better when adults listen and take them seriously, and that additional support with school and caring relationships can improve their well-being.

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Risk factors of gross and fine motor development delays in children living in institution care

Benjaporn Srinithiwat, Patcharapun Sarisuta, and Tachakorn Angsanu

This study identifies high rates of gross and fine motor delays among young children living in residential care facilities in Thailand and examines factors contributing to these developmental challenges. These findings highlight the developmental vulnerabilities of young children in residential care and point to key predictors that can inform early interventions.

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Problematising Concepts and Terms in Children’s Rights in the African Children’s Rights System: A Form of Decoloniality?

Robert Nanima

This article examines how key concepts and terminologies within and surrounding the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child shape narratives in the African human rights landscape, emphasizing the need to interrogate and deconstruct them through a decolonial lens. Using document analysis, it argues that critically problematising these terms is essential for strengthening the African Children’s Committee’s application of decoloniality and for advancing equity and accountability in child rights implementation.

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Kinship Foster Care: The Lived Experiences of Grandparents Fostering Their Orphaned Teenage Grandchildren

Carelse Shernaaz

This study explores the lived experiences of South African grandparents fostering their orphaned teenage grandchildren, revealing significant financial, emotional, psychological, and physical challenges. Despite these difficulties, grandparents demonstrate strong resilience supported by religious, family, and community networks, underscoring the need for standardized screening protocols for prospective foster caregivers.

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We Need Guidance and Support, but How Can We Trust Those People? Parents' Experiences of Family Reunification Following Out-Of-Home Care

Vibeke Krane, Eva Lill Fossli Vassend, Reidun Follesø, and Ketil Eide

This study examines Norwegian birth parents’ perspectives on the support they need for successful family reunification, revealing significant gaps in guidance, financial assistance, and help mobilizing social networks. The findings underscore that low trust in child welfare services can hinder parents’ willingness to accept support, highlighting the need for stronger institutional collaboration and tailored assistance before, during, and after reunification.

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From Vulnerability to Empowerment: Rights and Rehabilitation of Destitute and Neglected Children in Pakistan

HinaTahir

This article analyzes the gap between Pakistan’s progressive child protection laws and the harsh realities faced by the country’s 1.5 million destitute and neglected children, highlighting how weak implementation, custodial care models, and social stigma undermine their rights and well-being. It argues that meaningful rehabilitation requires shifting from welfare-based responses to empowerment-focused, holistic support systems that integrate legal protection, trauma-informed care, and market-relevant education.

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