Equipping Parent Advocates: Training Needs, Challenges, and Opportunities

Marina Lalayants and Vanassa Bishop

This article explores how well parent advocacy training programs prepare advocates for their roles in the child welfare system, drawing on perspectives from advocates, parents, and child protective services workers. It finds that while foundational training is valuable, more comprehensive, experiential, and collaborative approaches—especially in areas like legal knowledge, mental health, and system navigation—are needed to better equip advocates and strengthen family engagement outcomes.

Macroeconomic drivers of family separation and the placement of children in residential care in Cambodia: Insights from caregivers and social workers

James Farley, Helen Charnley, and Simon Hackett

This paper examines how broader economic and labour market forces influence family separation and the placement of children in residential care in Cambodia, amid ongoing child care deinstitutionalisation reforms. While global evidence highlights the harm caused by residential care and promotes family and community-based alternatives, Cambodia’s reform efforts remain largely reactive and institution-focused, paying limited attention to structural drivers of family separation.

ISS Ottawa Principles: For protecting children and parents subject to family violence in cross-border situations

International Social Service

This paper sets out guidelines on the specific challenges arising when domestic violence crosses international borders. It puts forth 15 core principles to guide states, courts and other professionals in better addressing cross-border family violence. It is intended to support implementation and encourage cooperation across jurisdictions and sectors in order to enhance the protection of children and families.

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Children’s participation in decision-making processes in child protection services: Cultural perspective

Hani Nouman, Hoda El-Arow, Guy Enosh

This article examines how Arab-Israeli children experience participation in decision-making committees within child protection services. It explores the cultural and systemic factors that both enable and hinder their meaningful participation, highlighting the need for more culturally sensitive and child-friendly approaches.

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Reintegration of Institutionalised Orphan Children into Families of Origin: Experiences of Social Welfare Officers in Tanzania

Victor Vedasto, Mabula Nkuba & Joyce Mkongo

This article explores how social welfare officers in Tanzania experience and manage the reintegration of institutionalised orphans back into family care. It examines the strategies they use, the challenges they face, and the broader systems needed to support sustainable, child-centered reintegration.

Assessment of the Social Service Workforce in Thailand

UNICEF

Thailand has a long history of social work and a legal framework recognizing the profession. However, social needs are growing in scale and complexity, while the social service workforce remains under resourced, unevenly distributed, and insufficiently supported. The assessment examined professional social workers, other social service professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers across government and non government sectors at national and sub national levels.

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Bridging the Gap: Ensuring Food Security for Youth Aging Out of the Foster Care System Through SNAP

UNICEF USA

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal nutrition program in the United States, serving about 42 million people and helping reduce food insecurity, with roughly 40% of recipients being youth. This policy brief focuses on how recent federal changes put youth aging out of foster care at risk of losing SNAP benefits and recommends reinstating eligibility waivers, strengthening state transition services, and protecting data on food insecurity for this vulnerable population.

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My Life Storybook

Kenya Ministry of Labour and Social Protection

My Life Storybook is a child-centered tool developed by children in collaboration with Child in Family Focus - Kenya (CFFK), the Kenya Ministry or Labour and Social Protection, and other relevant stakeholders to help children in care  document their history, reflect on their experiences, and strengthen their sense of identity and belonging. The tool is currently being used in CFFK's programs to support reintegration and family strengthening.

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