The report documents the effects of conflict on children in the Sudan, highlighting trends and patterns of the six grave violations against children, namely the recruitment and use of children, the killing and maiming of children, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, attacks on schools, hospitals and protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, a the abduction of children and the denial of humanitarian access.

This paper aims to examine the social support network structures of youth in out-of-home care in the U.S. and to delineate the type of social support activities provided by kin and fictive kin within the networks.

This fact sheet was engages with experts, particularly those with lived experience of human trafficking, to provide expertise and input on the U.S. Department of State anti-trafficking policies, strategies, and products. The authors have a range of expertise related to human trafficking, marginalized communities, trauma recovery, education, mental health care, and survivor leadership.

The South African Early Childhood Review 2024 tracks data on the status of children under six years. 

This study highlights the absence of intimate parental care due to many sociopolitical circumstances in India, which creates a vacuum in fostering early childhood care. The objectives were to determine the dilemmas faced by care providers in the limited resources division between their own and their kin’s child and the invisible social stigma associated with the tag of orphans.

This working paper describes the core care conditions that young children, their parents / caregivers and their families need to flourish. The paper is intended for policymakers and practitioners in Australia who are designing and delivering services and supports to young children and their families.

This study shows that, when researching historical compulsory social measures, the inclusion of formerly institutionalised individuals in development and implementation is not only feasible, but is of significant benefit to the quality of the research.

The current study assesses a protocol designed to mitigate risks in a population-based cohort of 246 individuals placed in care institutions as infants in a non-selective 60-year follow-up. In total, 116 (47%) individuals chose to participate, of whom 53 (55%) reported positive effects of participation such as the opportunity to fill some gaps in their life stories, to better deal with their past, and to understand previous family dynamics.

This study uses data from a survey on the health and development of 420 children mostly under the age of three, placed in 12 infant care institutions between 1958 and 1961 in Zurich, Switzerland. The children exhibited significant delays in cognitive, social, and motor development in the first years of life. Moreover, a follow-up of a subsample of 143 children about 10 years later revealed persistent difficulties, including depression, school related-problems, and stereotypes.

This study aimed to investigate developmental outcomes of children raised in institutions in Switzerland in conditions of psychosocial deprivation and to identify possible risk and protective factors at institutional and child levels.

Serviciile alternative de tip familial sunt un element cheie în reforma sistemului de îngrijire a copilului în Moldova. Totuși, copiii cu dizabilități sunt, încă, sub-reprezentați în grupul de copii în familiile de asistenți parentali profesioniști și părinți-educatori din casele de copii de tip familie. Unul dintre obstacolele menționate de specialiștii în domeniu, de asistenții parentali profesioniști și părinții-educatori este sprijinul financiar insuficient, care limitează accesul copiilor cu dizabilități în servicii de tip familial.

This study proposed a multicomponent model of implementation strategies to empirically examine the degree of adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) at national, agency, and practitioner levels in a sample of 20 member countries of the European family support network.

Gillian Huebner, Executive Director of the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues at Georgetown University, spoke with Karla Jones & Brooklyn Roberts about the children who have been kidnapped and disappeared during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The purpose of this longitudinal study conducted on institutionalized infants and toddlers in Switzerland from 1958 to 1961 and then 60 years later on the same group, is to investigate the effects of psychosocial deprivation on cognitive functioning in late adulthood.

In this study the authors explored the coping resources and assets of care leavers during and following the pandemic from the perspective of 44 care leavers in Israel aged 18–29.

Through this study, the researcher has attempted to view the Child Protection System from the lived experiences of 10 children who are/have been part of the Child Protection System in Delhi, India.

The survey of the COVID-19 outbreak focused on studying the impact and long-term consequences on care leavers, especially residential care leavers who are living independently.

Melody Curtis, Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong discuss the journey from traditional child sponsorship models to a new paradigm that champions community empowerment. They also tackle the ethical dilemmas and strategic decisions that are reshaping the way we support vulnerable children around the world.

Discover the unforeseen ripple effects of child sponsorship programs with Laura Horvath, Jared Scheppman, and Kelly Strong as they dissect the challenges and triumphs in philanthropy's evolving landscape. The guests in this episode reveal how well-intentioned aid can sometimes miss the mark, inadvertently creating dependencies that hobble the very communities they intend to uplift. They also analyze the intricacies of international aid, focusing on the necessary shift from quick fixes to sustainable, community-driven development.

These statements can be used in donor facing advocacy efforts. The purpose of these statements are to demonstrate to donors that care experienced experts, advocates and networks are calling for care reforms, including for the transition of residential care services, so that children can access more appropriate services and be raised in families.

Este artigo explora o papel da avaliação e gestão de caso no contexto das reformas do sistema de cuidados alternativos. Oferece princípios transversais de boas práticas, as etapas essenciais e descreve os fatores críticos envolvidos nas práticas de avaliação e gestão de caso eficazes. Baseando-se na literatura da região, o artigo visa fornecer uma orientação abrangente aos profissionais e às partes interessadas envolvidas nos cuidados, no bem-estar e na proteção das crianças. O anexo fornece detalhes dos recursos de avaliação e gestão de caso da região da África Oriental e Austral e também em outros lugares.

Ce document explore le rôle de la gestion de cas dans le contexte des réformes de la prise en charge. Il propose des principes transversaux de bonnes pratiques, des étapes essentielles et décrit les facteurs critiques impliqués dans des pratiques efficaces de gestion de cas. S’appuyant sur la littérature de la région, ce document vise à fournir une orientation générale aux professionnels et aux acteurs impliqués dans la prise en charge, le bien-être et la protection de l’enfance. L’annexe fournit des détails sur les ressources en matière de gestion de cas dans la région de l’Afrique de l’Est et australe ainsi qu’au-delà.

Delia Pop, the director of Tanya's Dream Fund, leads grant giving and advocacy strategies in Bulgaria along with working with UNICEF. In this episode she shares her extensive knowledge on creating strong strategy reforms.

Leon Fulcher discusses how to attain long-term holistic development of children in alternative care. 

Martin Punaks discusses effective advocacy campaigning in this episode of Care Conversations.

Niels Peter Rygaard, a leading child psychologist, sheds light on 'missing links' and growth-encouraging assessment methods in this episode of episode of Care Conversations: ICB Podcast. He explores the ways of connecting with children without parental care and ways to make small changes that create a large impact in the world of family strengthening and alternative care. 

Dr. Monisha Nayar Akhtar, a leading child psychologist and psychoanalyst talks to host Dr. Kiran Modi about the support institutionalised children need in the form of a nurturing family unit.

This CPC Learning Network hosted a conversation with partners and faculty affiliates on "Rethinking Child & Youth Participatory Methodologies & Processes: Presentations from our Partner Research Centers in Uganda, Indonesia, and Colombia".

This webinar was a panel conversation hosted by the CPC Learning Network, ChildFund Alliance, the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University, and the Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict that brought together a panel of experts to discuss the root causes leading to recruitment and involvement in activities of armed groups as well as the current context in countries such as Sudan, Colombia, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and more.

Listen to transition support experts David Musa and Yatta Palmer of the Child Reintegration Centre (CRC) explain how transition is getting more children home to family and learn about the challenges, successes, and the powerful role of the CRC in revolutionizing child welfare in Sierra Leone.

Updated Checklist for the Integration of Protection of Children Affected by Armed Conflict into the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Missions and Operations

This is the Council of the European Union's Conclusions on the update of the EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, as approved by the Council at its 4038th meeting, held on 24 June 2024.

Originally published in 2018 and updated in 2024 defines the EU’s global approach to protecting children affected by wars. These guidelines are intended to serve as a practical tool to direct and assist EU actors throughout the world in their work on children and armed conflict, including other situations of armed violence by state and non-state actors, such as terrorist organisations and organised criminal groups.

This global scoping review aimed to examine the extent and nature of existing literature on the influence of adverse childhood experiences and resilience on the cognitive, physical, mental, and social health outcomes among older adults.

This practitioner guidance paper outlines the work of the Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou -- a charity based in New Zealand that provides support for the children and families of those in prison by providing wraparound support for these families, with home-based social work and a youth mentoring programme. 

This practitioner guide outlines the Aviva program in Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand that provides support to children, young people and adults who have experienced family or sexual violence.

This practitioner guidance paper details the work of the VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai centres in New Zealand which centres its work around the belief that care-experienced young people are already experts on the care system – they just need to be offered appropriate training and support to get their voices heard. 

This Global Thematic Review on Education examines the under-researched relationship between education and institutional care.

On March 20, 2024, an immersive simulation lab event took place in Sri Lanka. Child protection allies from the Western Province of Sri Lanka gathered for a hands-on experience aimed at transitioning from a system reliant on child care institutions to one focused on promoting family-based care and strengthening family initiatives.

This article aims to trace and present some themes on Sweden's history of transnational adoption, with a particular focus on the public debate and the different narratives that representatives of the adoption triangle—the adoptees, the adoptive parents, and the biological parents—tell when dealing with transnational and transracial adoption as a personal and political phenomenon.

The study investigated the psychosocial consequences of poverty on rural Zimbabwean learners from child-headed households who are lagging behind in their learning. The study also aimed to generate recommendations based on the research findings.

This article aims to examine how the training and competencies of social workers during the deinstitutionalization processes in Lithuania impacted the preparation of children for independent living in society. The review of the scientific literature, presented in the article and the research data, can be applied to improve community care homes providing social services to highlight the role of social workers in creating a safe environment for the child, involving the child in the planning and organization of activities, fostering self-confidence and their abilities.

This article details to unique challenges faced by youth in care in the US when receiving inpatient treatment and how that varies in several ways from the care of non-foster care youth. Children in care have more medical, behavioral, and psychiatric problems and require health care at higher rates than youth not engaged in the child welfare system.

This article details the authors' findings that provide the first description of foster care trajectories in the US. Both practice and policy formulation can benefit from these empirically supported descriptions. Using such trajectory typologies, researchers can now explore how trajectories may predict wellbeing outcomes.

The aim of this empirical study was to analyse the relevance of long-term care solutions implemented in Poland for children leaving foster care, from the perspective of professional caregivers of the process of becoming independent.

In this chapter, the authors explore the intricate relationships between young disabled children, their families, institutional settings, and disability services in Canada, with an emphasis on the challenges stemming from unstable custodial dynamics and governmental interference.

This article provides an analysis of key policy and regulatory documents preceding or accompanying outsourcing policies in England (e.g., policy document relating to the 2012 and 2022 Health and Social Care Acts and the 2014 Care Act), and peer reviewed research on the impact of outsourcing within the NHS, adult's social care, and children's social care.

In Kenya, economic challenges often force families to place their children in residential care facilities (sometimes referred to as orphanages), leading to long-term negative impacts.

This study, conducted in Mthatha in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, sought to describe Xhosa cultural attitudes in relation to adoption.

2024 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

This book looks at major macro trends affecting children as well as interventions that have been used to address problems that children face. Topics that are addressed include the UN Convention on Children, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that support children, and development issues like pre and post-natal health, family systems, gender roles, and puberty/adolescent issues. Attention is given to major risk factors and challenges such as sex trafficking, child labor, street children, protecting children in congregate care, and violence against children in the home, in institutions, and in the community.

The current study examined irritability in 107 16-year-olds with a history of institutional care from a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care and 49 community comparison children.

In this article, the author adopts a broadly autoethnographic approach to reflect on how boys (now men in their late 40s and early 50s) brought up in the 1980s in a Scottish residential school recall being cared for.

This study describes a participatory, child-informed process of developing a multidimensional measure of child subjective well-being tailored towards the priorities of children who have lived in residential care. The survey was administered to 180 young people in Kenya and Guatemala who were reunified with family after living in residential care or at risk of entering residential care.

This Technical Note lays out ways in which national child protection systems can be enhanced to include children in the context of migration.

This project uses a mixed methods design to explore how residential youth workers in British Columbia conceptualize and account for grief and loss. Specifically, the authors explore service providers’ perceptions of how loss affects children’s behavior.

This study uncovers the internal mechanisms through which parental care deficit impacts depression in left-behind children in China.

The goal of this research was to map and identify service and social policy needs, gaps, barriers, and enablers for Western Australian custodial grandparent carers.

This study offers an updated review and analysis of policy reforms across both the child protection and youth justice systems in jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, targeting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field.

In this global study, the authors used data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), a longitudinal study of institutionally-reared and family-reared children, to test how caregiving quality during infancy is associated with average EEG power over the first 3.5 years of life in alpha, beta, and theta frequency bands, and associations with later executive function (EF) at age 8 years. 

This study focused on internationally adopted children from Russia to Spanish families who suffered early institutionalization. The study found that these children were at risk of a late onset of internalizing problems in adolescence. Both pre-adoption, adversity-related, and post-adoption factors predict variability in internalizing problems in this population.

This guidance aims to tailor existing case management standards and guidance to include specific elements that are relevant to child marriage cases; using the voices of Syrian refugee girls from the Terre des hommes-Lausanne Foundation (Tdh) and King’s College London (KCL) research in Lebanon and Jordan to support Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence case management staff in their case management work on the issue of child marriage.

This webinar explored the importance of working across sectors to enable effective care reforms.  Speakers focused in particular on work with social protection and education sectors, drawing on examples from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Rwanda.

There is global agreement (illustrated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [1989], the most widely adopted human rights treaty) that optimal support for a child comes from a caring and protective family.

This is a comment on the the report Pathways to Better Protection which gives promising indication that deinstitutionalisation policies are closing residential housing facilities and that increasingly, with the exception of children with disabilities, children are less likely to find themselves in residential care.

This Literature Review was commissioned by Adoption England’s Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) Leaders’ Group to support practitioners in care planning for children. This summary document is for use by those directly involved in care planning, and also aims to potentially provide some support for those writing care plans and court reports for children needing permanency away from their family.

This short paper provides an overview of the existing links between disability and trafficking in human beings, how persons living with disability are affected by trafficking, and to what extent legal standards, policy frameworks, and anti-trafficking measures integrate concerns associated with disabilities.

This global report describes the process used to determine the priorities for research on the intersections between violence against children and violence against women, and the top 10 research questions identified.

This is a qualitative research study to gather primary data to examine the high demand for foster care services in South Africa and the impact on the country's social work services.

The study is aimed at examining organizational as well as managerial practices in orphanages located at Balasore, India to understand how these factors impact the care and development of orphaned children.

This research project was an open trial examining the feasibility of utilizing the Unified Protocol (UP) -- a form of cognitive behavioral therapy -- within a residential treatment facility in Calgary, Canada for children involved with child welfare authorities who often have limited caregiver involvement.

This study demonstrates the need for participatory recordkeeping to promote the right of children and young people placed in Swedish residential care homes to record-making, to facilitate access to a complete record of their placements. It is further through record-making that the experiences of the placed individuals can be used to inform practice and policymaking.

While the determinants of child marriage among females have been well-documented, there is a lack of research on the determinants of child marriage among males. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature to investigate the determinants of child marriage among males and females in Vietnam.

The purpose of this U.S.-based study was to compare adolescent and caregiver reports of adolescent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their relationship with current adolescent depression and to analyze the relationship between ACEs and depression.

This study examines the factors which drive the decision to provide child protection and welfare services in Ireland using social work case files and multivariable analysis.

This U.S.-based study aimed to explore how caregivers perceive their role in decision-making when accessing residential treatment settings (RTS) for youth using interpretive phenomenological analysis.

Research highlights that residential care experienced children and young people in Scotland have poorer educational outcomes than their peers within the wider population. Despite experiencing adversity, attachment, separation and loss, school attainment data on leaving care only reflects part of the educational journey. This paper aims to address a gap in contemporary literature that is of benefit to practitioners, academics and policymakers.

These researchers conducted a systematic review to explore interventions that prevent or respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC) by parents or caregivers, aiming to identify common intervention components and mechanisms that lead to a reduction in IPV and VAC.

This systematic literature review searched for studies published in any language between 1st January 2000 to 16th February 2021 and identified 33 studies that provided findings for co-occurring IPV and VAC in 24 low- and middle-income countries.

This study describes a participatory, child-informed process of developing a multidimensional measure of child subjective well-being tailored towards the priorities of children who have lived in residential care. The study was conducted with focus groups in Kenya and Guatemala.

There are several studies that provide evidence for the negative effects of residential care for children. This chapter applies system analysis and child-centric approaches to assess the Children Alternative Care System (CACS) deinstitutionalization in Egypt.

CarINg aims at helping girls and boys in the alternative care system (care leavers) become protagonists of their own future by making them feel part of a welcoming community.

The purpose of this quantitative study is to investigate the relationship between agency and well-being in a group of care leavers (N = 48) recruited from the alternative care services offered by the cities of Florence and Prato in Italy and involved in the Caring project.

Foaia de parcurs pentru încetarea plasamentului copiilor din grupa de vârstă 0-6 ani în îngrijire rezidențială este un instrument care asigură toate componentele îngrijirii protectoare ale copilului: sănătate, alimentație adecvată, îngrijire, siguranță și educație timpurie, prin colaborarea intersectorială dintre Ministerul Muncii și Protecției Sociale, Ministerului Sănătății, Ministerul Educației și Cercetării și autoritățile administrației publice locale.

This is a tool that ensures all components of child protective care: health, adequate nutrition, care, safety and early education, through the intersectoral collaboration between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Research and local public administration authorities.

The survey results presented in this report highlight increasing efforts by states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to promote kinship care and support the caregivers of children who are known to the child welfare system. At the same time, the report calls on states to do more to help willing kin caregivers access and benefit from foster care licensing. 

A comprehensive survey of kinship care policies identifies increasing efforts by states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to promote kinship care and support kinship caregivers of children and youth who are known to the child welfare system.