Child Care and Protection Policies

Child care and protection policies regulate the care of children, including the type of support and assistance to be offered, good practice guidelines for the implementation of services, standards for care, and adequate provisions for implementation. They relate to the care a child receives at and away from home.

States and all organisations with child care programmes should have child care policies which are in line with national legislation and international law, e.g. the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In line with the CRC, emphasis should be placed on the child’s best interests, with support to families prioritised in order to prevent family separation. Good gatekeeping mechanisms are essential in ensuring families receive the services they need and are entitled to, and to guard against inappropriate placement into poor care arrangements.

Home-based care, day care, and other family support services are mechanisms for assisting families in providing for the child’s development and, when used appropriately, can prevent child separation. When a child is unable to remain at home, alternative forms of community based care should be prioritised, such as formal kinship care or foster care. The use of institutions should be highlighted as a last and temporary measure. All support and care provisions should outline the referral and admission process, the use of care plans, regular reviews, rehabilitation, and aftercare procedures.

Child protection legislation which recognises that abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect, and may be carried out by parents, caretakers, children and other adults is required. All agencies working with children should have written child protection policies which respect the rights of the child. Policies should outline behaviours and actions which are unacceptable, provide standards for the appropriate care of children, and clear guidelines on what procedures to follow and by whom, including reporting mechanisms for suspected abuse to an assigned authority for investigation.

Child care and protection policies require resources and monitoring of standards to ensure their appropriate implementation. Adequate provision and training of child care and social work staff is required to deliver family support services and alternatives forms of child care. All staff working with children should be trained and supervised in providing appropriate care for children, identifying abuse, and responding appropriately.

The literature in this section contains country reports and examples of national and organisational child care and protection policies.

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Every Kid Needs a Family: Giving Children in the Child Welfare System the Best Chance for Success

Annie E. Casey Foundation, 19 May 2015

This KIDS COUNT policy report highlights the benefits of family care for children and the need to prioritize family settings for all children in the child welfare system in the United States.

Family Support and Alternative Care Tallinn Expert Meeting Report 2015

Council of the Baltic Sea States, Estonian Presidency 2014-2015, Sotsiaalministeerium, 06 May 2015

This report provides an overview of the two-day expert meeting on alternative care and family support in the Baltic Sea Region that took place in Tallinn, Estonia in May 2015.

Family Support and Alternative Care The Baltic Sea States Regional Report

Daja Wenke - Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat, Estonian Presidency 2014-2015, Republic of Estonia Ministry of Social Affairs, 06 May 2015

This report was developed as part of a mapping study aimed at analysing the situation of alternative care and family support in the Baltic Sea Region, assessing the achievements since the 2005 Ministerial Forum and identifying relevant opportunities and challenges for the future.

Tallinn Recommendations and Action Plan on Alternative Care and Family Support for the Baltic Sea Region 2015 - 2020

Republic of Estonia Ministry of Social Affairs, Council of the Baltic Sea States, Estonian Presidency 2014-2015, 06 May 2015

Government representatives, experts and professionals from the Baltic Sea Region including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, Sweden and wider Europe gathered at a two-day expert meeting in Tallinn, Estonia and, together, endorsed a set of recommendations and action plan on alternative care and family support on 6 May 2015.

Family Support and Alternative Care in the Baltic Sea Region Background Paper 2015

Daja Wenke - Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat, Expert Group for Cooperation on Children at Risk, 06 May 2015

This background paper was developed as part of a regional study which gathered relevant data and information on family support and alternative care in the eleven Member States of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).

Compendium of promising practices to ensure that children under the age of three grow up in a safe and supportive family environment

UNICEF, 01 May 2015

This Compendium is a compilation of the most encouraging initiatives in the area of prevention of child abandonment and relinquishment that have been implemented and tested in the CEE/CIS region.

Information Packet: Deportation and Child Welfare in Mixed Status Families with Unauthorized Parents and Citizen Children

Norah Covarrubias & Alisa Hartman - National Center for Child Welfare Excellence, 01 May 2015

This information packet provides an overview of deportation of family members in families of mixed immigration status in the United States, as it relates to child welfare.

Manifesto For Ethical Intercountry Adoption

International Social Service (ISS), 01 May 2015

The International Social Service (ISS) has launched its Manifesto For Ethical Intercountry Adoption. The Manifesto seeks to promote ethical practices by all adoption stakeholders to better protect children, whether in the receiving country or country of origin, including inter alia, biological parents, adoptive parents, professionals and government representatives.

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Information Packet: Pregnancy Prevention for Youth in Foster Care

Caitlin Baer and Madeline Vasquez - National Center for Child Welfare Excellence, 01 May 2015

This information packet from the National Center for Child Welfare Excellence presents demographic data on pregnant youth in foster care and best practice tips for pregnancy prevention among youth in foster care in the US, as well as an overview of a model pregnancy prevention program and a list of additional resources.

การศึกษาทบทวนด้านการเลี้ยงดูทดแทนในประเทศไทย: นโยบายสู่การปฏิบัติโดยมุ่งเน้นเด็กที่ได้รับผลกระทบจาก เอชไอวี/เอดส์ (CABA)

UNICEF, 01 May 2015

The purpose of this research was to capture more accurate and detailed information regarding children in various forms of alternative care in Thailand.