Better Care Network highlights upcoming events that are related to children's care around the globe. These events include calls for papers or submissions, requests, conferences, webinars, and more. To view past events, visit the Events Archive page.

Better Care Network highlights recent news pieces related to the issue of children's care around the world. These pieces include newspaper articles, interviews, audio or video clips, campaign launches, and more.

As part of its overarching goal of information sharing, the Better Care Network posts relevant jobs, consultancies, calls for abstracts and papers, funding opportunities, calls for research, and other announcements on the BCN website and in the newsletter. These jobs and opportunities, unless noted, are not being administered by the BCN. Please apply directly with the relevant organization and contact the respective organization for additional information. To advertise a job posting or other opportunity on BCN, email BCN Secretariat at …

Millions of children around the world are affected by migration.  This includes girls and boys who migrate within and between countries (usually with their families but sometimes on their own), as well as children ‘left behind’ when their parents or caregivers migrate in search of economic opportunities.  Be it forced or voluntary, by adults or children, migration affects children’s care situations and can entail risks to their protection. [collapsed] Children on the move: Like adults, children often migrate in an attempt to build a better life – to escape…

Around the world, poverty and social exclusion are driving factors behind the placement of children into alternative care.  Families give up their children because they are too poor to care for them, or they feel that it is the best way to help them to access basic services such as education and health care. Discrimination and cultural taboos mean that girls, children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, children with HIV/AIDS and children born out of wedlock, make up a disproportionate number of children abandoned into alternative care. [collapsed] Poor-quality alternative care…

Interim care refers to care arranged for children on a short-term, temporary basis. It can involve placement with relatives, foster carers or in residential care facilities such as interim care centres, shelters or drop-in centres, and generally involves a temporary solution for children who are in need of immediate care and protection, while longer-term care is identified. [collapsed] Interim care may be required in situations where children’s safety and wellbeing is at risk and they need immediate care and protection. For example, while removal of a child from family care…

It is important to support children who are preparing to leave care.  This includes helping young people as they ‘age out’ of the care system and transition to independent living, as well as children planning to return home and reintegrate with their families.  In either case, leaving care should be a gradual and supervised process that involves careful preparation and follow-up support to children and families. [collapsed] The transition from alternative care to independent living can be challenging for young people. While some departures from care may be well planned, others…

Residential care refers to any group living arrangement where children are looked after by paid staff in a specially designated facility. It covers a wide variety of settings ranging from emergency shelters and small group homes, to larger-scale institutions such as orphanages or children’s homes. As a general rule, residential care should only be provided on a temporary basis, for example while efforts are made to promote family reintegration or to identify family based care options for children. In some cases however, certain forms of residential care can operate as a longer-term care…

A strong social service workforce is critical to meeting the needs of children without adequate family care.  From government policy-makers, local administrators, researchers and social workers, to educators, community workers and care providers, social service actors play a key role in protecting girls and boys and promoting their care. [collapsed] The development of a skilled and well-supported social service workforce is particularly important as countries move toward reforming their care systems and work to reduce reliance on residential care, strengthen families, prevent…