The Government of the Republic of Moldova launched its childcare reforms in 2006 aiming to establish a network of community social assistants, develop family support services and alternative family placement services, and reorganise residential childcare institutions. This evaluation reviews the implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Reform of the Residential Childcare System 2007–2012 approved by the Government of the Republic of Moldova in July 2007.

Drawing on existing peer-reviewed and grey literature, this article provides an overview of the major components of care reform in Ghana, including reintegration with the extended family, foster care and adoption. In addition, the article discusses the prospects and challenges involved in achieving the reform's intended component.

This report from USAID, prepared by the European Network on Independent Living, features the findings from a study on why little progress has been made to end the institutionalization of people with disabilities in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.

This hard-hitting report by Disability Rights International is the product of a 3-year investigation into the orphanages, adult social care homes and other institutions that house children and adults with disabilities in the Republic of Georgia. It finds that although the Government of Georgia has undertaken an ambitious child care reform process over the last decade, institutionalized children with disabilities were largely excluded from this reform process.

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference by Brankica Janković, State Secretary, Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Policy, introduces the achievements and challenges faced in altering the attitude of professionals working with children with disabilities from preferring institutions to family-based care systems.

This presentation to the 2012 Sofia Conference by Kevin Browne, Institute of Work, Health, and Organizations (I-WHO), School of Community Health Services at the University of Nottingham, introduces the collective findings of his research studies on the harmful effects of institutionalization of young children and major causes of child abandonment in Europe and prevention methods.

On Tuesday, October 22rd, the NGO Committee on UNICEF’s Working Group on Children without Parental Care in collaboration with the Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the Permanent UN Missions of Austria and Brazil hosted an event at the UN, which drew representatives from Member States, the UN and civil society, to review progress on the implementation of the guidelines and share experiences from various regional perspectives.

This policy brief by Save the Children introduces the background, goals, and guiding principles of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children endorsed by the UN General Assembly on the 20th of November 2009 while also explaining why family-based care is a preferred care arrangement over institutions. Furthermore, it suggests policy and practice recommendations to further protect children without appropriate care and strengthen families and communities.

In the attached document, Lumos reports that 8 million children worldwide are in institutions globally.  

On the 22nd October 2013, a new regional campaign in the Latin American and Caribbean region was launched to end the placement of children under three years of age in institutions.