A major new tool to support the Implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children
A new handbook entitled, Moving Forward: Implementation of the ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children,’ was developed by CELSIS under an initiative of the Working Group on Children without Parental Care of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the project’s Steering Committee which included representatives from ISS, SOS Children’s Villages International, Family for Every Child, ATD Fourth World, Better Care Network, RELAF, and UNICEF.
It is designed as a tool for legislators, policy-makers, and all professionals and care providers to support the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009. By making a strong connection between national policy, direct practice, and the Guidelines themselves, the handbook emphasizes that children must never be placed in alternative care unnecessarily, and where out-of-home care must be provided, it should be appropriate to each child’s specific needs, circumstances, and best interests.
For more information about Moving Forward please visit: http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=30492&themeID=1001&topicID=1007
The New York Working Group on Children without Parental Care
BCN is acting as co-convener with SOS Villages International of the New York Working Group on Children without Parental Care of the NGO Committee on UNICEF. The main objective of the Working Group is to disseminate and promote the implementation of the Guidelines on Alternative Care of Children.
The Working Group members are: BCN, SOS Villages International, International Movement ATD Fourth World, Family For Every Child, Quaker UN Office and Friends World Committee, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, UNICEF, Plan International and the Child Protection in Crisis Network (CPC). Meetings are held every quarter, or more frequently in preparation of events.
The specific objectives of the Working Group include:
BCN and the Working Group are currently working with UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Brazil to organise the New York Launch of Moving Forward: Implementing the ‘Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children’ that will be held on the 11th April 2013, at Labouisse Hall, UNICEF House, New York City.
Further information about this event will be posted shortly here.
Protect My Future: The Links between Child Protection and Major Development Goals
The Better Care Network is contributing to a global inter-agency campaign to raise the profile of child care and protection in development and humanitarian work, including the framework that will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) when they come to an end in 2015.
Child protection may be defined as measures and structures to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence affecting children (Save the Children 2010). Child protection is integral to the better care of children, which involves ensuring that more children grow up in safe and caring families, or, when this is not possible, have a range of high-quality alternative care choices open to them (UN 2010). Ensuring the adequate care and protection of children requires co-ordinated, multi-sector policies, strategies and actions to address a range of rights violations during emergency and normal periods, including: harmful child labour, damaging institutional care and violence against children in the home and elsewhere.
A series of papers are being developed to address the links between child care and protection and health and survival, education, population dynamics, good governance, equity, climate change and conflict, and growth.
To view these papers, please see: