Physical victimization by peers was examined among 1,324 Jewish and Arab adolescents, aged 11 to 19, residing in 32 residential care settings (RCS) for children at-risk in Israel.

This summary draws on the work of the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) with and for children with disabilities to develop pathways for their full inclusion in their communities.

This study addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding alternative care in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun, and Songkhla), where the population is predominantly Muslim with a strong ethnic Malay identity. The research investigates various forms of alternative care, including institutional care (Pondok and Hafiz institutions, government boarding schools, private orphanages) and family-based care, examining the quality of care, available social services, and cultural context.

The Framework for Action is an interagency initiative, led by UNICEF, Save the Children and World Vision, driving global action behind efforts to strengthen child protection systems, mobilising the complex array of stakeholders at sub-national, national, regional and global levels to implement pledges and commitments to end violence against children.

Millions of persons with disabilities, children and older persons live in congregate settings. Whilst the motivation for providing such care may be well-intentioned, that is not always the case. Many of those settings are ‘institutional’, with residents denied autonomy and choice, provided with poor quality health and social care, and experiencing social isolation, neglect or abuse. This report summarises the evidence and experiences of persons living in congregate settings in general, and in terms of the impact of COVID-19, to understand the barriers to deinstitutionalisation, and to highlight the approaches that have sought to overcome those barriers.

The Care Reform Roadmap (2024-2028) lays out the strategic actions for caring for vulnerable children in Ghana, led by the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.

This advocacy brief and video are underpinned by research confirming the high costs of violence against children to society, and the significant returns that could accrue from investments made in interventions to prevent and respond to violence against children. The research highlights the need for a paradigm shift, from viewing expenditure on the protection of children from violence as a cost to viewing it as an investment.

This toolkit, building on prior research, presents the economic rationale for investing in the prevention and response to violence against children, emphasizing that such spending should be seen as an investment rather than a cost. Part A outlines the societal and economic benefits of preventing violence, while Part B provides a step-by-step guide for practitioners to develop evidence-based investment cases to persuade governments to adopt integrated, cross-sectoral strategies.

This project explored the experiences of young people in Australia living in ‘therapeutic residential care’ to understand what helps or hinders them in building trust and feeling safe. Drawing on interviews and surveys, it shares insights directly from the young people about what works well and what could be improved.

This report presents the main findings, conclusions, and recommendations of a formative and summative evaluation of the childcare and deinstitutionalisation reforms in North Macedonia for the period of 2009 2022. The evaluation was commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Europe and Central Asia Region Office (ECARO), as part of its multi-country evaluation of the impact of national child care reforms across eight1 countries in Europe and Central Asia and was conducted by Coram International.

This study examines the role of transition plans (TPs) in supporting young people leaving youth care in Flanders, identifying ownership, integrated working, and social support as key elements for effectiveness. While TPs have strong potential to guide meaningful transitions, their success depends on flexible, person-centred design and reflective professional practice that aligns with young people’s aspirations and values.

Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment and has serious consequences for the development of children. Assessing child neglect is challenging because it involves recognizing acts of omission rather than commissions. This study examines the influence of the assessment tool SAT-BL on the documentation of neglect.

Positioned as ethical travel, orphanage tourism commodifies vulnerable children, akin to slum and wildlife voluntourism. Rather than alleviating harm, it sustains institutionalisation and exploits children for profit. This article examines orphanage tourism through hospitality ethics, sustainable tourism and corporate social responsibility (CSR), revealing gaps in hospitality curricula that overlook the industry’s complicity.

This study explores the experiences and challenges of caregivers providing trauma-informed care to foster children in a South African care facility. Findings highlight the emotional and practical difficulties faced by caregivers and emphasize the need for targeted training and support to strengthen their capacity and well-being.

This study examined how disability status affects the well-being of children in Kenya who were reunified with families after living in residential care. It found that children with disabilities reported lower well-being and life satisfaction compared to their peers without disabilities, highlighting the need for targeted support during reunification.

The second WHO and UNICEF-facilitated Digital Dialogue, following the 2024 Global Ministerial Conference, convened over 400 participants to explore how care reform can help prevent violence against children. Co-hosted by Better Care Network, Lumos, UNICEF, and WHO, the session highlighted country experiences, regional efforts, and the urgent need for integrated, family-based solutions to end institutional violence and protect every child.

This video explores efforts to enable children with disabilities in Rwanda to grow up in safe and caring families using an integrated approach which saw collaboration between the child protection, health, education and social protection sectors.

This video describes lessons learnt from the use of supervised independent living in Uganda for adolescents and young adult care leavers.

This paper explores strategies to prevent the separation of children from their families, drawing on evidence from Eastern and Southern Africa. It highlights the importance of strong care systems, holistic family support, and coordinated services to keep children safely within their families and communities.

Supervised independent living involves a child or young person living without an adult but receiving regular supervision, guidance, mentoring and monitoring from an assigned adult mentor. This case study explores lessons learned from three non-governmental organisation (NGO) programmes in Uganda.

Over the past decade, Rwanda has reformed its care system to prioritize family-based care, with recent efforts focusing on supporting children with disabilities through a multi-sector, community-based approach. This short case study explains why this integrated model is important to prevent family separation, outlines the key components of this approach, and provides some lessons learnt from the pilot.

This country care profile provides an overview of key lessons learned in the children’s care reform process in Moldova, including successes, challenges and areas for progress, and gaps in learning and best practice.

Un aspect esențial al misiunii CTWWC, constă în acumularea și prezentarea evidențelor ce vizează reforma sistemului de îngrijire, în special aspectele referitoare la tranziția copiilor din îngrijirea rezidențială și reintegrarea în propriile familii sau plasamentul în îngrijire alternativă de tip familial și prevenirea separării sau reseparării copiilor de familie. Astfel, pentru acumularea informațiilor concludente, CTWWC a efectuat un sondaj al gospodăriilor în rândul familiilor care au beneficiat de suport în cadrul inițiativei, cu scopul de a informa autorităților publice și practicienii care activează în acest domeniu.

This one-page English-language synopsis of the full report in Romanian titled, “Ce putem învăța de la tinerii cu experiență trăită în sistemul de îngrijire din Republica Moldova?” (What can we learn from young people with lived experience in Moldova's care system?), offers a compelling peer-to-peer perspective from 56 young people who transitioned out of Moldova’s care system.

Acest raport prezintă rezultatele unui studiu participativ realizat de rețeaua Youth & Experience (Y&E), fondată de tineri cu experiență trăită în sistemul de îngrijire din Republica Moldova, realizat în perioada septembrie - decembrie 2024 cu participarea a 56 de tineri.

This toolkit guides EU staff on supporting child care and protection system reforms during the EU accession process, drawing on lessons from past experiences. It emphasizes the vital role of civil society in shaping reform priorities and implementing legislation in candidate and potential candidate countries.

Christians have a long-standing involvement in the care of children, both at home and overseas, with many of those at the forefront of establishing orphanages and residential settings motivated by their faith to take action.

This publication provides an overview of orphanage trafficking and examines how OSCE participating States can contribute towards global efforts to combat orphanage trafficking and orphanage voluntourism.

This infographic by UNICEF illustrates how violence against children and violence against women coexist and intersect in multiple ways, and can each have devastating and long-lasting impacts.

A well-established and growing body of evidence demonstrates the multiple ways in which violence against children and violence against women intersect or overlap. This brief summarizes what is known about the potential for parent and caregiver support programmes to reduce both violence against children and violence against women, and why addressing these intersections matters for children’s protection and well-being.

A well-established and growing body of evidence demonstrates the multiple ways in which violence against children and violence against women intersect or overlap.

The BCN Advisory Board plays a key role in the governance of the organization, ensuring its fiduciary responsibilities are fulfilled and providing guidance, support and oversight to BCN’s Executive Director and staff team.

The Qualitative Assessment of How the 3B/4D Social Cohesion Approach Effects Disability-Related Social Exclusion in Zambia by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) highlights the Inclusive Family Strengthening (IFS) project's significant impact on reducing disability-related social exclusion. The project utilized introspection, intragroup and intergroup connections, and action to foster empathy, acceptance, and support for children with disabilities.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Positive Parenting Annex (PPA) implemented by Catholic Relief Services in Zambia. This initiative aimed to support caregivers of children with disabilities by enhancing their parenting skills and resilience.

This report evaluates the Inclusive Family Strengthening (IFS) project's impact on caregivers of children with disabilities in Zambia. It highlights significant improvements in caregiver resilience, social support, and access to essential services. The report notes increased positive parenting behaviors, such as showing affection and rewarding good behavior, and a reduction in the use of corporal punishment.

This report highlights the Inclusive Family Strengthening (IFS) project by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Catholic Sister congregations. This project aimed to improve the wellbeing of children with disabilities and keep them in family care.

The Teenage Mother project is an intervention model to support teen mothers, developed by Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) in Rwanda. The documents provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges faced by teen mothers, the prioritization of causal factors, and the implementation of the Active Family Support (AFS) model to address these challenges.

This Resource List catalogues critical resources to guide ethical good practices in participatory research with children in humanitarian contexts. It is not an exhaustive compilation, nor does it propose new ethical guidelines. Instead, it highlights existing tools that help researchers and practitioners understand, utilise, and apply well-established ethical principles. 

The Global Protection Cluster (GPC) is issuing this Protection Alert in light of the escalating crisis and immediate protection risks to civilians in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Based on distressing reports from protection partners and the DRC Protection Cluster, this alert seeks to draw attention to the worsening humanitarian situation and mobilize urgent action to protect civilians in the affected areas.

This study aims to explore the experiences of gender expressions among transgender youth who aged out of out-of-home care in Israel.

This paper develops a typology of foster parent types through an ideal-type analysis of interviews with Danish foster parents.

In this paper, two researchers with backgrounds in ethnography describe and reflect on their experiences from a qualitative, transnational study called 'Back to the Future: Archiving in Residential Children's Homes (ARCH) in Scotland and Germany. Important goals of the study are the investigation and development of digital community archives for young people, care workers and care leavers from residential homes in order to support their memories of shared everyday life.

In Norway, legislation requires consideration of a child’s culture in all phases of child welfare work. Through a quantitative content analysis of 285 child welfare expert assessment reports, the authors explored experts’ utilisation of a cultural perspective, comparing reports concerning immigrant and non-immigrant background children.

Child Maltreatment 2023 (the report) is the latest edition of the annual Child Maltreatment report series. The report is used by researchers, practitioners, and advocates throughout the world as a source for national child welfare data. Jurisdictions provide the data for this report via the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS). NCANDS was established as a voluntary, national data collection and analysis program to make available state child abuse and neglect information. Since 1991, child welfare agencies in the 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have collected and submitted data for NCANDS.

The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM) is to provide information on best practices for providing quality programs and services to young people who are preparing to transition out of the foster care system in the U.S.

SOS Children's Villages' Global Report on Children’s Care and Protection 2024 sheds light on the dynamics of child-family separation. This document can be used to call on governments and decision-makers to act to strengthen families and improve care and support systems.

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.

A cross-national examination of socio-economic and gender gaps based on PISA 2018 surveys

In this webinar, the Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism, Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, shared findings from her recent report on children with albinism and the right to family life. Staff from UNICEF and NGOs in Madagascar, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda also shared lessons learned.

Practitioners explain the core value of children's right to participate in the process of transitioning. 

At the occasion of the 2024 UN Summit of the Future, Hope and Homes for Children organised the first in a series of policy dialogues on 16 September 2024 highlighting the important links between the Sustainable Development Goals and global child care reform.

Since joining the European Union in 2007, Bulgaria has sought to make changes in its child welfare system for children raised in care institutions around the country. According to UNICEF, in 2021 there were 10,000 children living in alternative care in Bulgaria - most of them were ethnic Roma or children with disabilities. This is the story of how Bulgaria Without Orphans has played a role in Bulgaria's care reform.

In this webinar, the Africa Working Group on Children Without Parental Care now called Family First for Children Without Parental Care, (FAFICA), explores key global debates and initiatives advancing care reform, including updates from the African Union and global events like the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children.

Parenting author Kayla Craig; Lauren Pinkston, Kindred Exchange; Kristin Langrehr, 111Project; and Stephanie Robinson, Faith to Action, share their own experiences of caring for orphans and adoption. Their reflections provide realistic ways to be involved in supporting orphaned and vulnerable children.

В Україні вперше особи, які перебували в інституційних установах, а також ті, хто має досвід сімейного догляду, об’єдналися та узгодили спільну позицію щодо реформування системи догляду та підтримки дітей, у тому числі розвитку програм підтримки дітей-сиріт та дітей, позбавлених батьківського піклування.

يتناول هذا التقرير ثلاث قوى عالمية قوية وطويلة الأمد (أو اتجاهات كبرى) ستترك أثراً عميقاً على حياة الأطفال من الآن حتى عام 2050، وهي: التحولات الديموغرافية، وأزمات المناخ والبيئة، والتقانات الرائدة. وبفهم هذه الاتجاهات وتداعياتها على الأطفال، يمكننا أن ندرك بشكل أفضل التحديات والفرص التي تنتظرنا.

El informe examina tres megatendencias o grandes fenómenos mundiales y a largo plazo que tendrán importantes efectos sobre las vidas de los niños y niñas de aquí a 2050: los cambios demográficos, las crisis climáticas y medioambientales y las tecnologías de vanguardia. Si entendemos estas tendencias y lo que implican para la infancia, comprenderemos mejor los retos y las oportunidades que se nos pueden presentar.

Pour ce faire, ce rapport examine trois grandes tendances, à savoir trois forces puissantes qui s’inscrivent dans la durée à l’échelle mondiale et qui auront de profondes répercussions sur la vie des enfants entre aujourd’hui et 2050: les changements démographiques, la crise climatique et environnementale et les technologies d’avant-garde.

This report examines three powerful, long-term global forces – megatrends – that will profoundly affect children’s lives between now and 2050: demographic shifts, climate and environmental crises, and frontier technologies.

The report explores three megatrends that will profoundly impact children’s lives between now and the 2050s: demographic shifts, the climate and environmental crises and frontier technologies. It also presents three future scenarios – possible outcomes, not predictions – for how children could experience the world of 2050.

In Ukraine, for the first time, individuals who have experienced institutional care, as well as those who have experience with family-based care, have united and agreed upon a common position regarding the reform of the child care and support system, including the development of programs to support orphaned children and children deprived of parental care.

The main objective of this assessment and report is to gain knowledge about children with disabilities without family support, or at risk of being so, and the alternative care arrangements available for these children in the Philippines. In addition, whether there is scope for improvement of alternative care measures in the Philippines in line with international standards.

In this article, the authors explore the potential benefits of Life Story Work (LSW) to care-experienced young people and the barriers to research, training, and practice, and suggest that clearly defined approaches could provide clarity for carers, practitioners and researchers.

This paper considers attempts to influence practice and policy from the perspectives of 15 care experienced people who had been involved in substantive public campaign work relating to children in state care and care leavers in Scotland and England. Participants shared their experiences of working to influence change and highlighted good and bad practice that they had encountered working with different individuals and organisations claiming to promote the views of those with lived experience.

This paper reports on a national policy analysis in Australia exploring how therapeutic residential care (TRC) is constructed in policy documents. One hundred and thirty-two relevant policy documents were analysed to identify the practices and the conditions that facilitate the development of relationships and connections.

This study sought to identify, describe, and correlate cognitive learning abilities among a group of 34 male children, aged 9–13, residing in care facilities in Mexico. This model represents a pioneering strategy in Mexico, aiming to enhance cognitive abilities by leveraging strengths and adopting a perspective grounded in human rights, inclusion, and interculturality.

This research analyzed key policies that affect unaccompanied children, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)'s foster care system in the United States, and the placement process and well-being outcomes.

Analyzing 23 interviews with professionals in the field, this article identifies the factors that contribute to high levels of child trafficking in Spain.

Using data from the 2016 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and drawing on the theories of family migration, push-pull forces, and social capital, the authors compare migration patterns of minority and Han children in China. Results show minority children have a higher probability of joining migrant parents than Han children. However, this may not necessarily lead to more desirable outcomes.

This article investigates the contemporary transnational and neocolonial characteristics of children’s welfare in the Philippines, drawing on the perspectives of young people in residential care settings as well as the views of programme and policy actors embedded across child protection systems.

Drawing from an Italian study conducted in residential care for children, the authors aim to investigate residential childcare educators' levels of compassion fatigue and work engagement, and to focus on the individual, work and organisational conditions associated.

This study aimed to explore children's voices on violence in child welfare files to enhance our understanding of their experiences of violence. The sample consisted of 120 children who provided abuse information in Swedish child welfare investigations into physical and sexual abuse.

This article analyzes the experience of unaccompanied young migrants in the protection system of Catalonia (Spain) and their preparation for the transition to independent living. A survey with 90 unaccompanied migrant youths who were about to leave care was conducted.

This study examines the family formation journeys of care leavers in China, focusing on how they plan, navigate, and face challenges during this process.

Global migration is on the rise, and as a result, millions of children are left in their home countries while their parents migrate abroad. Little is known about the mental health of left-behind children (LBC) in Eastern Europe. The study addresses this research gap in Georgia, a leading migrant-sending country in the region.

This study explores risk and resilience in UK school environments for students in kinship care. Eight professionals experienced in working with students in kinship care and their schools took part in individual, semi-structured interviews. Interviews focussed on kinship students’ needs and how professionals perceive schools respond to those needs.

Using existing grey government and nongovernment literature and reports, this policy briefing critically examines what is known about the numbers, experiences and outcomes of young people transitioning from Out-of-Home-Care in Indonesia.

The author of this article is a practising GP with 25 years of experience of inner-city primary care and a global expert on primary care of children and she presents dilemmas posed in clinical settings for health practitioners and professionals working in a broad range of areas including public health, education settings and social care to help reduce health inequality faced by young people growing up in the UK care system.

This global study explores the intricate web of disadvantages preceding children’s entry into social care, shedding light on the complex interplay between early-life adversity, cumulative disadvantage, and long-term health outcomes and the ways in which intergenerational studies can inform strategies for breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

This article seeks to learn more about the experiences and perspectives of those who spent their childhoods in institutional care in Thailand and how they compare with international research on this topic.

This paper highlights the experiences of birth mothers who have children placed in kinship care in the UK, focusing on some of the specific challenges they face. For many kinship families, these issues are also felt by the kinship carer. The paper sets out the need to do more to support kinship families - children, kinship carers and birth parents - to ensure children can thrive in safe, stable and loving homes.

This document produced by CERI presents the outcomes of an informative assessment and stakeholder interviews focused on the rights of children with disabilities (CWD) within Sri Lanka’s child protection system. The primary objective is to provide evidence-based recommendations to align the child protection system with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Studiul sociologic „Implementarea programelor și activităților de sprijin familial primar și a altor activități comunitare centrate pe consolidarea familiei” este un prim studiu realizat în Republica Moldova, cu scopul cartografierii programelor și a activităților de sprijin primar existente prin evaluarea relevanței, a eficienței, durabilității, dificultăților și a bunelor practici. Rezultatele cercetării  au informat elaborarea conceptului și procesul pilotării unui model eficientizat de sprijin primar al familiilor cu copii. Modelul eficientizat al serviciului  urmează să consolideze acțiunile viitoare ale actorilor comunitari în sprijinirea familiilor pentru a putea depăși situațiile de risc.

On November 20, 2024, the Evidence for Impact Working Group as part of the Transforming Children’s Care Collaborative hosted the "Building Evidence to Impact Care Reform - Challenges and Lessons Learned" webinar as part of a continuous dis

On November 20, 2024, the Evidence for Impact Working Group as part of the Transforming Children’s Care Collaborative hosted the "Building Evidence to Impact Care Reform - Challenges and Lessons Learned" webinar as

This is a summary of an evaluation of the child care and deinstitutionalisation reforms in seven countries (Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Tajikistan) for the period of 2009-2022.

This high-level satellite event to the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children took place on November 6, 2024, and brought together prominent speakers from across the world. The purpose of this event was to put a spotlight on the intersection between children’s care and violence against children. Watch the recordings of the event in English, Spanish or French.

This kinship care practice guidance was developed by listening to children's views. It is a practical guide to listening to children living in kinship families to help ensure that their voices and views are heard and acted upon. It is intended primarily for those who support children and families in kinship care arrangements, but it also applies to other areas of child welfare practice.

The purpose of this document is to explore why and how Child Protective Services (CPS) evolved from a highly specialized system designed to investigate and respond to allegations of serious child abuse and neglect to a system expected to provide social services and material supports to impoverished families unable to meet their children’s basic needs.

This policy brief presents the key findings of the 2024 Child Gauge which focuses on early childhood development and the full book can be accessed at www.ci.uct.ac.za.