National Standard Operating Procedures for Supportive Supervision for Child Protection Practitioners

Government of Kenya

These SOPs aim to strengthen the effectiveness and well-being of Kenya’s child protection practitioners by promoting accountability, continuous learning, and reflective practice. By prioritizing practitioners’ psychosocial health and standardizing supportive supervision across the State Department for Children Services, the guidance seeks to improve service quality, reduce burnout, and enhance outcomes for vulnerable children.

File

More than 2,000 trafficked children and lone child asylum seekers missing from UK councils’ care

The Guardian

This article reports that in 2024, over  2,000 children identified as trafficked or unaccompanied asylum seekers went missing while under the care of local authorities in the UK — 37% of 2,335 trafficked children, and 13% of 11,999 lone‑child asylum seekers in care.

An exploration of independent advocacy provision for children in care and young care-leavers - towards a best practice model

Hillary Jenkinson

This report, from Ireland, provides a comprehensive exploration of the principles and practice of independent advocacy for children and young people with care experience, with a view to signposting what constitutes best practice in this field and proposing a model of advocacy practice which reflects the key themes arising. Resulting from a research project carried out with EPIC (Empowering People in Care), the report draws from the views of those who have experienced advocacy as children and young adults, those who have provided advocacy as professional independent advocates, management personnel responsible for the provision of those services in the context of EPIC and significant stakeholders in the field of advocacy service provision. 

File

Child Protection in India: Assessing Multi-disciplinary Response Mechanisms

Paromita Chattoraj

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the institutional, legal, and social frameworks surrounding child protection in India. Anchored in a multidisciplinary approach, the book brings together insights from law, social work, psychology, education, and public policy to examine how various systems interact in addressing the issues related to protection of children from abuse, neglect, trafficking, and exploitation.

File

Exploring the Experiences of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the Vhembe District: a Qualitative Study

Livhuwani Precious Matshepete, Lufuno Makhado & Ntsieni Stella Mashau

This study explores the lived experiences of orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa’s rural Vhembe District and finds that they face significant challenges, including maltreatment, deprivation, neglect, abuse, and social alienation. The findings highlight an urgent need for strengthened psychosocial support through coordinated stakeholder action, reinforced drop-in centres, and enhanced prioritization by social workers.

File

The Development of a Community-Led Child Protection Approach in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Rinske Everarda Catharina Ellermeijer, Caroline Isabelle Sophie Veldhuizen, and Bill Bell

This paper outlines the development of a community-led child protection approach (Seeds), created through a multi-stage process involving a systematic literature review, formative research in Uganda and Lebanon, a field test in Sri Lanka, a feasibility study in Colombia, and expert review, resulting in a six-phase model designed to strengthen children’s protection and their sense of safety.

File

Homeless but not Hopeless: Unveiling the Harsh Realities of Street Children and Need-Based Interventions for Long-Term Protection

Md. Abdul Ohab & Taufiq-E-Ahmed Shovo

Street children in Bangladesh face chronic food insecurity, unstable shelter, limited access to health and education, and pervasive violence and abuse, as revealed through qualitative interviews with twenty children in Khulna district. Based on the hierarchy of needs expressed by the children, the study identifies essential long-term protection interventions, including community shelter services, psychological counseling, and skill-development training, and underscores the urgent need to implement these measures to ensure their safety and well-being.

Image
Image of article

Significant Considerations When Matching Foster Families and Children With Migrant Backgrounds: Reflections of Social Workers in Norway and Sweden

Elin Hultman, Milfrid Tonheim, and Linnea Roslund Gustavsson

This study, based on vignette-based focus group discussions with social workers in Norway and Sweden, examines how they balance children’s cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic continuity with other needs when matching migrant-background children with foster families, revealing a complex process shaped by the child’s and parents’ wishes, foster carers’ capacities, and organizational constraints. While social workers value cultural continuity, they often prioritize more urgent care needs—especially amid a significant shortage of foster families—creating a risk that children’s rights and needs related to their cultural background may not be fully met.

File

Change in Residential Child Care in Scotland Webinar

CELCIS

CELCIS’ October 2025 webinar explored recent developments in residential child care across Scotland, featuring insights on nurture-based practice, shifts in inspection approaches aligned with The Promise, and staff development through reflective practice. Speakers highlighted how new care models, regulatory changes, and whole-system approaches are strengthening practice and improving outcomes for children and young people.

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.

File

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.

File

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.

File

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.

File

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.

File

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.

File

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.

Image
Image of article

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.

Image
Image of article

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.

File

The governance of national care systems for orphans and vulnerable children in Cambodia, Uganda, Zambia and other low and formerly low-income countries: Findings and implications

Jeremy Shiffman, Innocent Kamya, Adam D. Koon, et al.

This article examines how national care systems for orphans and vulnerable children in Cambodia, Uganda, and Zambia are governed, drawing on case studies and a review of existing research. It highlights the gap between strong policy commitments and weak on-the-ground implementation, pointing to historical, political, and capacity-related factors that hinder effective care and protection.

File

Comité Africain d’Experts sur les Droits et le Bien-être de l’Enfant Observation Générale N°10 sur les Enfants sans Protection Parentale

Comité Africain d’Experts sur les Droits et le Bien-être de l’Enfant

L’Observation générale n°10 de l’ACERWC fournit des orientations faisant autorité sur la mise en œuvre de l’article 25 de la Charte africaine, en clarifiant les obligations des États de protéger et de soutenir les enfants privés de soins parentaux grâce à la prévention, au renforcement des familles, à des solutions de prise en charge alternatives de qualité et à une réforme globale des systèmes de prise en charge. Elle appelle à une transition de la prise en charge institutionnelle vers des approches familiales et communautaires, à de meilleures données et à un renforcement de la supervision, ainsi qu’à une action coordonnée des gouvernements et de leurs partenaires afin de garantir que chaque enfant grandisse dans un environnement sûr et bienveillant.

File

General Comment No. 10 on Children Without Parental Care in the Context of Article 25 of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and Care Systems Reform

African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child

The ACERWC General Comment No. 10 provides authoritative guidance on implementing Article 25 of the African Charter, clarifying States’ obligations to protect and support children without parental care through prevention, family strengthening, quality alternative care, and comprehensive care-system reform.

Co-designing programmes to address child exploitation

Isabella Lanza Turner, Hilde Neels, Yulidsa Bedoya Zúniga, et al.

This article examines how Terre des Hommes Netherlands used a participatory co-design process to develop thematic programmes addressing sexual exploitation, child labour, and exploitation in humanitarian settings as part of its Listen Up! Strategy (2023–2030). By integrating insights from research, children, staff, and local partners through workshops, storytelling, and problem analysis, the process combined academic knowledge with lived experiences to create context-specific, evidence-informed interventions and Theories of Change.

File

Assessing Changes in Child Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Sierra Leone from 2019- 2024

Center on Human Trafficking Research & Outreach

This endline report reviews changes in child trafficking and child labor across four districts in Sierra Leone between 2019 and 2024, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data. It summarizes major findings, outlines key recommendations, and provides an overview of the study’s methodology and program phases from baseline to endline.

File

Transforming practices: Racial literacy in institutional foster care

Luana Luiza Galoni1

This article examines how racial inequality shapes institutional care for adolescents in Brazil and highlights how racial literacy workshops exposed both gaps in practitioners’ understanding and systemic barriers to anti-racist practice. Despite these challenges, the intervention showed promising improvements, underscoring the urgent need to embed racial literacy in public social assistance policies and high-complexity care services to better protect Black adolescents.

File

To care and protect: Shared values, different paths in Czech–Colombian analysis of children’s alternative family care

Leona Stašováh, Lucie Smutková, Jacqueline Garavito Lopez, et al.

This article presents a comparative analysis of the Czech Republic and Colombia’s implementation of the United Nations Guidelines for Alternative Family Care. Based on secondary data, it identifies a shared adherence to the UN framework; a strong Czech system for alternative caregivers’ selection, training and support; a deep ethical commitment of Colombian foster families to ensure children’s well-being, despite limited resources; and the relevance of supporting parents at risk of having their children removed from their care and integrating the effects of unplanned migration into alternative care strategies.

File

Drivers of child-parents separation informed by children and young people: findings from an eight country comparative study

Christine Gale, Mehrigiul Ablezova, Charlotte Bredahl Jacobsen, et al.

This article presents research from eight countries showing that many child–family separations are preventable, with children and young people identifying common drivers of separation rooted in unmet basic needs and broader socio-economic pressures. The study concludes that strengthening laws, policies, and access to essential services—guided by the lived experiences of children—can help keep families together and reduce reliance on alternative care.

File

The criminalisation of children in care

UK Children's Commissioner

The Children’s Commissioner’s report “The Criminalisation of Children in Care” reveals a deeply concerning pattern: children in care in the UK are disproportionately drawn into the criminal justice system, often for low-level incidents that, in a family setting, would be handled without police involvement. To address this, the Commissioner calls for a strengthened, statutory protocol among police, local authorities, and youth services; better diversion pathways; a more child-friendly prosecution process; increased legal aid and training; more stable, high-quality care placements; and improved data sharing to monitor and prevent harmful police involvement.

File

Care System Strengthening Learning Synthesis: Evaluation Summary

Joanna Wakia, Alexandra Safronova, Kelley Bunkers, Sully Santos and Beth Bradford

Changing the Way We Care’s “Care System Strengthening Learning Synthesis: Evaluation Summary” distills lessons from care reform efforts in four countries, examining how change happened across laws, workforce, financing, monitoring, and services. It finds that evidence-based advocacy, strong government ownership, collaboration, and capacity-building were central to driving and sustaining reform across diverse contexts.

File

Unequal Childhoods: Rights on paper should be rights in practice

Eurochild

This report examines how rising child poverty, social exclusion, and anti-rights movements across Europe threaten children’s rights, emphasizing the urgent need for collective action and strong civil society engagement. Focusing on vulnerable children, it reviews progress on the European Child Guarantee and broader rights issues—from mental health and protection systems to digital rights, housing, and social investment.

File

Separation of Children from Their Families: A Study of the Experiences of Member Organizations of the Childhood 2025 Coalition

Childhood 2025 Coalition

This study by the Childhood 2025 Coalition highlights ongoing challenges in Bulgaria’s child protection system, particularly the lack of preparation and coordination during child–parent separation, which heightens stress for families and strains relationships with social workers. It calls for updated case management methodologies and stronger collaboration among child protection authorities, social services, and other actors to better support children and prevent unnecessary family separation.

File

A crucial juncture for evidence-based action to end violence against children

Amber Petermana, Joan Njagib, Horace Gninafonc, and Alessandra Guedese

This Lancet commentary highlights a major update to the evidence base for preventing violence against children, emphasizing findings from a new systematic review that strengthens and refines the INSPIRE Framework’s intervention strategies. It underscores that several approaches—such as parenting programs, whole-school violence prevention, healthy relationships education, and cash-plus life-skills initiatives—are proven effective, while others lack sufficient evidence and require reevaluation.

Assessment of the capacity and processes of Cambodia’s national and intercountry adoption system

UNICEF

This report presents an independent assessment of Cambodia’s national and intercountry adoption systems, with a focus on the country’s progress in aligning adoption practices with international standards for child protection and family-based alternative care. Commissioned by UNICEF Cambodia in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, the assessment evaluates the current capacity, processes, and legal frameworks governing adoption, and provides recommendations to strengthen the system in the context of Cambodia’s ongoing care reform agenda.

File

The Hidden Survivors: Care Leavers and the Unspoken Crisis of Sexual Abuse

Ruth Wacuka and Georgette Mulheir

This report examines the global sexual abuse and exploitation of care leavers, highlighting how systemic failures, both within institutions and during the transition to independence, leave young people vulnerable to harm, including cross-border trafficking and online exploitation. It calls for urgent action to strengthen safeguarding, ensure comprehensive aftercare, and create survivor-centered justice systems to protect care leavers’ rights, dignity, and long-term wellbeing.

File

Children of Parents or Primary Caregivers Deprived of Liberty

UNICEF

This brief explores how the detention or imprisonment of a parent or primary caregiver affects children’s rights, well-being, and development, often exposing them to stigma, instability, and reduced access to essential services. It calls for child-sensitive justice processes, greater use of alternatives to detention, and coordinated support systems that prioritize the child’s best interests at every stage.

File

Children in Civil Proceedings Technical Brief

UNICEF

This brief outlines how children engage with civil court processes—such as custody, guardianship, and adoption—and highlights the profound impact these proceedings have on their rights, development, and well-being. It identifies gaps in law and practice and calls for reforms to ensure children’s meaningful participation, child-friendly procedures, and consistent application of the best-interests principle.

File

Inter-agency Guidance on Child Protection Case Management Data Categorisation

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

This article highlights efforts to standardize Child Protection Case Management (CPCM) data in humanitarian settings to improve program quality, planning, and advocacy. Led by UNICEF and UNHCR through the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, the initiative establishes common data categories for risks, vulnerabilities, and services, enabling consistent analysis and stronger, evidence-driven protection responses for children across crises.

File

Shifting Power, Localizing, and Strengthening Ownership: Three Country Learnings and Challenges in Community-Led Child Protection

Wessells, M., & Kostelny, K.

This report synthesizes learning on community-led child protection in Sierra Leone, Kenya, and India. It shows the power of communities' own agency and action on behalf of children and underscores the importance of ownership.

File

Indigenous knowledge and the challenges of informal foster care practice in South-East Nigeria: The need for a formalised process for child safety

Chinwe U. Nnama-Okechukwu

This study explores the informal foster care practices of the Igbo ethnic group in South-East Nigeria, revealing both its cultural value in providing family-based care and the challenges it faces. Findings highlight the lack of regulation, data, and support services, underscoring the need for greater involvement of government agencies and social workers to ensure children’s safety and well-being.

Image
Image of journal cover

Building a Culture of Voice and Agency for Aboriginal Children in Out-of-Home Care: A Review of Policy in New South Wales and Victoria

Bradley Burns, Rebekah Grace1, and Scott Avery

This paper examines how effectively out-of-home care systems in New South Wales and Victoria, Austalia support the participation of Aboriginal children and young people in decisions about their own care. It highlights systemic barriers and calls for structural reforms to embed Aboriginal child and youth voices at every level, rather than relying solely on individual practitioners to promote participation.

File

Psychosocial Interventions for Edge of Care Families in the Early Years: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Paula S. Oliveira, Kyla Vaillancourt, et al.

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for families with young children involved in child protection services. While the interventions improved parenting sensitivity, attachment, and parental functioning, evidence for reducing maltreatment risk remains limited, highlighting the need for larger, more consistent studies.

Image
Image of journal cover

The Overlooked Linkages between Public Health Emergencies and Child Protection in Eastern and Southern Africa

UNICEF

This technical brief examines how public health emergencies in Eastern and Southern Africa—such as polio, cholera, Ebola, Marburg, and mpox—disrupt protective environments and increase risks of violence, exploitation, and neglect for children, including those without parental care. Drawing on lessons from multiple countries, it highlights scalable approaches to embed child protection in health responses and calls for coordinated frameworks that ensure care continuity and resilience during future crises.

File

A Qualitative Study on the Causes and Solutions of Street Children

Aminullah Fetrat and Abdulmusawer Zuhor

This study explores the social, economic, and familial factors contributing to the rise of street children in Pul-e-Khumri, Afghanistan, where poverty, unemployment, and family breakdown have deepened the crisis. By highlighting the severe individual and societal impacts, it calls for targeted policies—such as poverty reduction, job creation, and access to education—to address the root causes and protect vulnerable children.

File

Legal Frameworks of Adoption in Pakistan: A Comparative Study of Child Welfare and Parental Rights

Kinza Malik & Dr. Tansif Ur Rehman

This paper examines the legal framework governing adoption in Pakistan, highlighting how Islamic principles and the Guardians and Wards Act of 1890 shape the balance between child welfare and parental rights. Through a comparative analysis with international standards, it identifies gaps in the current system and proposes reforms to better protect children’s best interests while respecting cultural and religious values.

File

Strengthening Foster Care in Nigeria: Codifying the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care

Ejomafuvwe Taiga, Beauty O. Alloh and Peter. I Gasiokwu

This article provides a critical examination of the Child's Rights Act in Nigeria, with a focus on strengthening foster care through the codification of the United Nations (UN) Guidelines on Alternative Care. It analyzes the existing legal framework governing foster care in Nigeria, identifying gaps and limitations that hinder the effective protection and care of children living in foster care arrangements.

File

Interventions to prevent, reduce, and respond to violence against children and adolescents: A systematic review of systematic reviews to update the INSPIRE Framework

Madison T Little, Alexander Butchart, Greta M Massetti, et al.

A decade after the launch of WHO’s INSPIRE Framework, this systematic review updates the global evidence on what works to end violence against children. Analyzing 216 systematic reviews, it identifies the most effective interventions—including parenting programs, safe school environments, healthy relationship education, cash-plus life-skills training, and cognitive behavioural therapy—and underscores the urgent need to scale up these proven approaches worldwide.

Image
Image of article

Exploring the Role of Stigma Management Communication in Reducing Stigmatization of Adoptive Parents: A Case of Kiambu County, Kenya

Bertha Lutome

This study explores how stigma management communication can reduce the stigmatization of adoptive parents in Kiambu County, Kenya, where cultural beliefs often privilege biological lineage over adoption. Findings reveal that adoptive parents use strategies such as concealment, disclosure, reframing, and advocacy to challenge stigma and gradually normalize adoption, highlighting the vital role of communication in transforming societal attitudes and promoting acceptance.

File

Advancing child protection systems in Indonesia and Ethiopia: A comparative analysis of progress and challenges

Paul Vinod Khiatani, Wing Hong Chui, Dagim Dawit Gonsamo, et al.

This review compares child protection systems in Indonesia and Ethiopia using UNICEF’s Child Protection System Strengthening framework. Both countries have established solid legal frameworks and coordination mechanisms, but progress toward system maturity remains slow due to gaps in enforcement, accountability, and support services, with Indonesia showing stronger development in workforce and data systems.

Image
Image of report cover

A Systematic Review of Parenting Programs for Southeast Asian Families

Sun-Kyung Lee, Qiyue Cai, Vijaya M. Nandiwada-Hofer, et al.

This review examined 39 studies on parenting interventions for Southeast Asian families in low- and middle-income countries and diaspora communities, identifying 31 distinct programs that generally improved parenting practices and child behavior. Findings support the effectiveness of these interventions while emphasizing the need for more rigorous research, clearer documentation of adaptations, and stronger evaluation methods to maximize public health impact.

Image
Image of report cover

Bringing Care Experience to Social Work Capacity Building in Uganda: Facilitation Guide

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, Child's i Foundation and Child Frontiers

The Strengthening the Social Service Workforce for Family-Based Care project is a two-year project implemented and managed by the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance with technical support from consultants from Child Frontiers and supported by a grant from the Martin James Foundation.

File

Bringing Care Experience to Social Work Capacity Building in Uganda: Consultation Report

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, Child's i Foundation and Child Frontiers

This report by Child’s i Foundation, supported by the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and the Martin James Foundation, presents findings from consultations with 133 care-experienced children, young adults, and caregivers in Uganda to understand their needs and expectations of social workers. The insights inform new training tools and advocacy efforts to strengthen social work practices, policies, and guidance to better support vulnerable families and care-experienced individuals.

File

Learning from lived experience to strengthen the social service workforce

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance

This webinar showcased the learning from Strengthening the Social Service Workforce for Family-Based Care, a two-year project implemented by the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, with technical support from Child Frontiers, under a grant from the Martin James Foundation.

Measures to Ensure That Social Workers Render Holistic Family Reunification Services: A South African Perspective

Sipho Sibanda

This study examines challenges that hinder social workers in South Africa from providing effective family reunification services, resulting in children staying in alternative care longer than necessary. Findings from a mixed-methods study suggest that providing resources, reducing caseloads, supervising and training social workers, and adhering to reunification principles are key measures to ensure holistic and timely family reunification.

File

The evolution of the alternative care framework: Analysing changes in policy and practices

Falzon, J.

This study examines how policy developments and the introduction of the Minor Protection (Alternative Care) Act, Chapter 602, have shaped the alternative care system and impacted the welfare and rights of children and families in Malta. It analyzes legislative intent, stakeholder perspectives, and gaps in practice, highlighting challenges and proposing reforms to strengthen the law’s implementation and support ongoing alternative care improvements.

‘I hate those words, I love you!’. Care-leavers’ reflections of orphanage tourism

Jonnell Uptin

This study explores the experiences of nine young Thai adults who grew up in a Christian orphanage supported by foreign volunteer tourists, highlighting the impact of these visits on the children. Findings reveal that while orphanages often used children to attract financial support, most volunteers provided fleeting attention, leaving children disappointed and vulnerable, emphasizing the need for orphanage models that prioritize the children’s needs over tourist interests.

File

The Relationship Between Child Neglect and Family Protective Factors: A Case of Türkiye

Aynur Bütün Ayhan, Utku Beyazıt, Yeşim Yurdakul, et al.

This study examined the link between child neglect and family protective factors among 936 parents in Hatay, Türkiye, a region marked by migration, cultural diversity, and economic hardship. Results showed that stronger family protective factors were associated with less neglectful behavior, emphasizing the need for family-centered prevention efforts in disadvantaged, multicultural contexts.

Image
Cover of Journal

Comparative Normative Study on Child Custody and Guardianship in Islamic Family Law: Lessons from ASEAN and Europe

Mahendra Utama Cahya Ramadhan, Taufiqur Rohman, Fauziah Hayati, et al.

This study compares child custody and guardianship norms in classical Islamic jurisprudence and modern codifications, focusing on Indonesia’s Compilation of Islamic Law and related laws in selected ASEAN and European countries. It finds that integrating the “best interests of the child” with Islamic legal reasoning through maqāṣid al-sharīʿah can promote child protection and gender equity, offering insights for legal reform in plural societies.

File

The “what’s up?” survey of adolescents in residential care facilities during the Israel–Hamas war

Ben Alfasi, Anna Reznikovski-Kuras, and Tal Arazi

This study surveyed 340 adolescents in residential care facilities across Israel to assess their emotional well-being and sense of security during the Israel–Hamas war. Findings show high levels of sadness, stress, and anger among youth, but those who felt cared for and supported by staff reported greater security, underscoring the need to strengthen staff–adolescent relationships during crises.

File

Livelihood Strategies for Adolescent Girls Transitioning out of Residential Childcare Facilities: A Zimbabwean Perspective

Sipho Sibanda and Pamhidzayi Berejena Mhongera

This study explores the transition and livelihood strategies of adolescent girls in and out of institutional care in Harare, Zimbabwe, comparing 16 girls still in care with 16 who had exited. Findings reveal that girls leaving care rely on diverse social networks for survival but often struggle to sustain themselves, highlighting the need for transition programs that reduce institutional dependency, prevent early marriage, and promote economic inclusion.

File

Alternative care in Chile: Insights from a gender equality, disability and social inclusion analysis

Paola Pereznieto

This brief analyses the state of alternative care for children in Chile, highlighting key statistics, sectoral findings and areas for policy improvement. It is part of a broader analysis of gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) in Chile. The analysis draws on existing literature, government reports and key informant interviews (KIIs) with stakeholders working in this area.

File

Improving care experience Delivering The Promise

Audit Scotland

This report assesses Scotland’s efforts to fulfil The Promise—a national commitment made in 2020 to overhaul the country’s care system so children and young people “grow up loved, safe and respected.” It identifies significant persistent challenges in three key areas: governance and accountability, data and measurement, and resources and investment.

File

Family-Based Care for Every Child: Lessons from Thirty Years and the Road Ahead

University of Kent

In this webinar, part of the University of Kent Centre for Child Protection’s ‘Critical Conversations in Child Protection’ series, Rebecca Smith and Geoffrey Oyat from Save the Children International, discussed the evolution of programs supporting family-based care and children without appropriate care, including unaccompanied and separated children, over the past thirty years.

Reimagining family re-unification: Exploring strategies for reintegrating street children in Harare, Zimbabwe

Mugove Kudenga, Prem Heeralal, and Ntokozo Dennis Ndwandwe

This study examines strategies for reintegrating street children in Harare, Zimbabwe, into their families, highlighting the root causes of homelessness and the need for psychosocial support, counselling, family conferences, and community engagement. It emphasizes innovative, evidence-based approaches to ensure effective family reintegration and informs policymakers, social development officers, and researchers addressing child homelessness.

File

“Suddenly, eight years went by”: young women’s lived experiences of residential care and transition-to-adulthood programs

Daniel Ortega Ortigoza and Angelina Sanchez-Martí

This study explores the experiences of young women leaving residential care in Catalonia, Spain, revealing that limited, inconsistent support—focused mainly on technical skills—neglects their emotional and social needs. It calls for a caring, individualized approach to guide their transition to adulthood and prevent further vulnerability and institutional abandonment.

File

The Concept of Child Adoption from a Legal Perspective in Indonesia

Munirotul Hasanah Sipayung, Rusmia Nita Sari, Meysa Feby Alvina, et al.

This study analyzes Indonesia’s legal framework for adoption, detailing its procedures, requirements, and implications under national child protection laws. It finds that while adoption ensures children’s welfare and grants them equal rights in care and education, inheritance and lineage distinctions remain under existing legal provisions.

File

The personal paradigm as a methodological imperative for raising orphans in the current Ukrainian military reality

Viacheslav Blikhar and Galyna Lialiuk

This article examines the socialization and education of orphaned children in Ukraine amid the war, highlighting the psychological trauma, deprivation, and social challenges they face. It calls for reforms in caregiver training, trauma-informed education, and the adoption of a personal paradigm approach that supports each child’s development, resilience, and self-realization.

File

The evolving landscape of parenthood, adoption and legitimacy in Nigeria

Patricia Imade Gbodo and Grace Abraham Ahiakwo

This article analyzes how Nigeria’s statutory, customary, and international laws intersect to shape adoption and legitimacy, revealing inconsistencies, cultural resistance, and systemic weaknesses that undermine children’s rights. It calls for legal harmonization and reforms grounded in child-centered and rights-based principles to create a more inclusive and secure framework for recognizing parenthood.

File

The Children's Plan: Vision for Care

U.K. Children's Commissioner

This report from the UK Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, reviews progress and challenges in children’s social care since she began her term in 2021. It highlights persistent failures to uphold children’s rights and presents a vision for transformative reform centered on those rights.

File

Community-Driven Family Strengthening: Interview with This Life Cambodia

Julie Walton

The article presents an in‑depth interview with the organisation This Life Cambodia, which works at the grassroots level in Cambodia to empower local communities around issues of social justice. It explores how community‑driven family‑strengthening approaches are applied in contexts of complex vulnerability, emphasising the importance of locally led support networks, culturally appropriate practices, and the agency of caregivers in sustaining positive family and community outcomes.

Roles of Child Care Functionaries in Child Care Institutions in Odisha: An assessment under the context of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

Dr.Sudam Tandi

This paper examines the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and its regulations in the context of child care institutions (CCIs) in Odisha, focusing on the role of CCI staff in supporting institutionalized children through the child welfare committee. Findings from a qualitative study of three children’s homes in Balangir district indicate that staff often fail to address children’s emotional and psychological needs, highlighting the importance of staff training to effectively fulfill duties under the Juvenile Justice Act.

File

Exploration phase: Improving transition planning in residential out-of-home care

Hayley Wainwright, Helen Skouteris, Angela Melder, et al.

This mixed-methods study examined transition planning in Victoria, Australia, from the perspectives of young people, residential out-of-home care staff, and cross-sector workers, revealing that while multiple organizations support youth—particularly Child Protection and residential care providers—responsibilities and participation methods vary, with young people often involved indirectly rather than through formal goal-setting.

File

Impact of Orphanage-Based Interventions on the Well-Being of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Racy B.E. Omorogiwa and Efosa K. Ehigie

This study examined the impact of orphanage-based interventions on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Benin City, Nigeria, focusing on healthcare, education, and vocational support. Findings revealed significant inadequacies in these services, with participants expressing dissatisfaction, and the study recommends free health insurance enrollment and mandatory school scholarships to improve OVC well-being.

File

Exploring the education experiences of children in alternative care in Kenya: Challenges and opportunities

Justin Rogers, Gidraph Wairire, Jen Dixon and Lizzi Milligan

This study examines the educational experiences of children in Charitable Children's Institutions (CCIs) in Kenya, highlighting how institutional care often fills gaps left by inadequate education and other services in contexts of poverty. Findings reveal that children in CCIs face marginalization, stigma, and disrupted learning, while promising interventions include cross-sector partnerships, safeguarding training, and transitioning CCIs toward community-based support within national care reform.

File

Reimagining Transitional Support Systems for Youth Leaving Out-of-Home Care: A Global Framework for Housing, Workforce, and Psychosocial Integration

Theophilus Aloro and Praise Adejimi

Care-experienced youth worldwide face housing instability, unemployment, psychological distress, and legal vulnerability when leaving out-of-home care, highlighting the need for coordinated transitional support. This paper proposes a Global Framework for Transitional Support that integrates stable housing, mental health care, education and workforce pathways, and legal empowerment through an adaptable, trauma-informed model designed for diverse cultural and resource contexts.

File

Lived Experiences and Reintegration Challenges of Street Children in Arusha: A Socio-Cultural Perspective

Rehema Ally Shekuwe and Juma Almasi Mhina

This study examines the experiences of street children in Arusha City, Tanzania, highlighting the challenges they face due to poverty, family breakdown, and rapid urbanization. Findings show that most street children are boys aged 10–14 with only primary education, and reintegration efforts often fail because of institutional mistrust and socio-cultural barriers.

File

Child Adoption Practices in Yogyakarta: Legal Challenges and the Role of Social Workers

Riski Angga Putra

This study examines adoption practices in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, highlighting legal challenges such as jurisdictional ambiguities, inconsistent procedures, and document falsification. It emphasizes the crucial role of social workers in navigating these obstacles, advocating for children’s rights, and supporting families throughout the adoption process.

File

Deficiência e cuidado: resistir na loteria de acessos das periferias do Brasil

Lauren Avery e Vidas Negras com Defi ciência Importam (VNDI)

Este relatório examina o contexto histórico e social da deficiência e do cuidado no Brasil, com ênfase na percepção das mães e cuidadoras, destacando as desigualdades profundamente enraizadas enfrentadas por pessoas com deficiência e suas mães, particularmente em áreas periféricas. A história de exclusão do Brasil, enraizada em ideologias racistas, capacitistas e sexistas, continua a marginalizar pessoas negras, mulheres e pessoas com deficiências, com mulheres negras e pobres desproporcionalmente atribuídas a papéis de cuidado. 

File

Disability and care: resisting the lottery of access in the peripheries of Brazil

Lauren Avery and Vidas Negras com Defi ciência Importam (VNDI)

This report examines the historical and social context of disability and care in Brazil, with emphasis on the perception of mothers and caregivers, highlighting the deep-rooted inequalities faced by people with disabilities and their mothers, particularly in peripheral areas. Brazil’s history of exclusion, rooted in racist, ableist, and sexist ideologies, continues to marginalize Black people, women, and people with disabilities, with Black and poor women disproportionately assigned care roles. 

File

Measuring Success for Care Leavers in England: Whose Definition Counts?

Nikki Luke, Áine Rose Kelly, Amirali Arian, et al.

This article reviews how ‘success’ is defined for young adults, comparing academic and care-experienced perspectives with the narrow statutory outcome measures currently used for care leavers in England. It finds that existing measures are limited and advocates for a more comprehensive approach that centers care leavers’ own definitions of success.

File

Social Cohesion for Disability Inclusion in Kenya​

Joanna Wakia, Peta-Gaye Bookall, Edith Apiyo, Musa Abdallah, and Fidelis Muthoni

This document presents a comprehensive report on a pilot project in Kenya that tested the Social Cohesion for Disability Inclusion Approach as part of the Changing the Way We Care℠ initiative. The report details the implementation process, participant feedback, and measurable shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among caregivers and community members, highlighting increased empathy, inclusion, and advocacy.

File

Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform: Guidance for Requesting Technical Assistance

UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Countries that sign the Global Charter on Children's Care Reform are encouraged to make their own commitments describing specific actions they will take to realise the aims of the Charter. This guidance provides instructions on how governments can request technical support from a team of care reform advisors to develop or begin implementing those commitments.

File

Global Charter on Children's Care Reform: Guidance for Developing Commitments

UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Countries that sign the Global Charter on Children's Care Reform are encouraged to make their own commitments describing specific actions they will take to realise the aims of the Charter. This guidance document aims to support governments to design ambitious, measurable, and context-specific commitments that align with the Charter’s principles.

File

Care System Strengthening Learning Synthesis

Joanna Wakia, Alexandra Safronova, Kelley Bunkers, Sully Santos and Beth Bradford

This report presents findings from an evaluation by Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) that used a realist approach to examine how care reform progressed in Guatemala, India, Kenya, and Moldova across five key system components. It identifies advocacy, government ownership, collaboration, and capacity-building as major drivers of change and offers recommendations for governments and partners to embed family care in national systems, strengthen coordination and workforce capacity, and sustain reforms through evidence, shared learning, and long-term commitment.

File

Family-First Framework

A Family for Every Orphan

This toolset provides a concise, adaptable framework to help national leaders and stakeholders strengthen child protection systems that prioritize family-based care. It distills key international standards and guidance into accessible materials to support informed, strategic conversations on building “Family-First” systems for all children.