This Chapter in the Book, Participatory Approaches in Child and Family Social Work explores the significance of advocacy in promoting the rights and well-being of children in care.

New data from the Children’s Commissioner for England found 669 children living in unregistered children’s homes as of 1 September 2025—a 12% decrease from the previous year. While the reduction is welcome, these placements remain unlawful and unsafe, highlighting an ongoing failure to adequately protect vulnerable children.

In 2024, the 1st Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children (VAC) brought together 103 governments to make formal commitments to prevent and respond to VAC. This review analyses the pledges announced at the time of the conference, while acknowledging that some governments may have subsequently refined or expanded their commitments, as noted in the limitations.

The piece argues that Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, is mishandling the growing crisis of street children by relying mainly on enforcement actions — such as rounding up boys seen begging or washing windscreens along busy roadways — rather than addressing the underlying causes of

The KUOW article explores a striking reduction in the number of children in southern Uganda who have lost a parent, dropping from nearly one in four in the early 2000s to just 6% by 2022, and links this trend to global HIV treatment efforts. New research suggests that U.S.

This interactive graphic depicts the vital processes, mechanisms, and care options necessary for supporting children at risk of being or already separated from their parents. It illustrates how best practices work together to prioritize family care, reduce unnecessary separation, and support

This study examines the group foster care model at Hope Community Village in Kerala, India as an innovative, family-based approach to supporting children in need of care and protection. Findings show the model delivers rights-based, comprehensive care aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while highlighting challenges related to funding, policy, staffing, and social acceptance, and demonstrating its potential as a replicable framework for child protection.

This paper presents a rights-based framework for assessing when care orders are justified in child protection, integrating human rights standards, statutory criteria, and international jurisprudence around the principles of necessity, proportionality, and the child’s best interests. It offers practical guidance to improve consistency and accountability in decision-making, supporting evidence-based reform while reducing arbitrary or disproportionate child removals and prioritizing family preservation where possible.

This brief presents the case for engaging paraprofessional social service workers as part of a strengthened child protection and care system in Ukraine. The advocacy brief outlines how paraprofessionals—working under the supervision of qualified professionals—can help address workforce shortages, particularly in crisis-affected and resource-constrained contexts.

Youth Independent Living outlines the role of supported and supervised independent living as a key care option for adolescents and young people transitioning out of alternative care in Ukraine. Grounded in international legal frameworks and global evidence, the brief explains how independent living services support youth to safely transition to adulthood while prioritizing their best interests over institutional care.