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.

This chapter in the book, Social Work Reflections, explores social work’s role in supporting care-experienced people and their families. It examines how social workers can promote meaningful participation and engagement across the life course for people with care experience.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On November 12, the Transforming Children's Care Collaborative hosted a webinar to explore insights from two Australian initiatives—

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On Monday, November 3rd, A Family for Every Orphan hosted an interactive consultation and introductory launch of the Family-First Framework — a practical and adaptable set of visual tools designed to help cou

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

India’s adoption laws have evolved over more than a century, creating parallel systems that affect eligibility, speed of adoption, and the rights of adoptive families. This study examines the historical origins and gaps in these laws and advocates for a unified framework that aligns with constitutional and international standards.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

At the close of the Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) The Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) initiative launched in 2018 with the aim to reform child care systems by promoting safe, nurturing family-based care over institutional care.

At the close of the Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) The Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) initiative launched in 2018 with the aim to reform child care systems by promoting safe, nurturing family-based care over institutional care.