Household Economic Strengthening

Poverty is a leading cause of child separation. Families may be torn apart by the stresses of trying to provide for their basic needs, and children may be abandoned or exploited for financial purposes. Household economic strengthening aims to reduce a family’s vulnerability to poverty, increase economic independence, and improve people’s ability to provide for their children.

Economic strengthening alone will not prevent separation or protect children, and should form part of a comprehensive support package, including psychosocial work, community mobilisation, education, health, and family support. Household economic strengthening should also complement the wider government social assistance programmes, welfare sector initiatives, and child care policies. Beneficiaries should include those families which are destitute, poor, or vulnerable to poverty, including child headed households.

Economic empowerment is not possible without the active participation of the community in ensuring that those most in need are identified and that families are willing to commit to projects. Any initiative must have sustainability at its core; there must be a market demand for products and services, and activities should build on the existing strengths and resources of the community.

Household economic strengthening includes activities which help a family restore, improve and maintain their income, and build savings and assets. Projects may consist of relief assistance, grants and loans for income generating activities, technical and skills training, registered credit and savings associations, and legal advice on inheritance and property rights. Ideally such guidance and resources should come from specialised local organisations that can facilitate market research, identify those in need and the type of assistance required, and provide sustainable long-term support to beneficiaries.

The literature contained in this section offers recommendations and examples of household economic strengthening projects which support the protection of children.

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Can cash break the cycle of educational risks for young children in high HIV–affected communities? A cross–sectional study in South Africa and Malawi

Lorraine Sherr, Mark Tomlinson, Ana Macedo, Sarah Skeen, Imca Sifra Hensels, and Lucie Dale Cluver - Journal of Global Health, 2017

This study describes the impact of cash grants and parenting quality on 854 children aged 5–15 (South African and Malawi) on educational outcomes including enrolment, regular attendance, correct class for age and school progress (controlling for cognitive performance).

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Isibindi's Family Strengthening Approach

Isibindi Project - National Association of Child Care Workers, 2017

This brief summarises key findings of a qualitative study of the family strengthening approach of the Isibindi model.

Could cash and good parenting affect child cognitive development? A cross-sectional study in South Africa and Malawi

Lorraine Sherr, Ana Macedo, Mark Tomlinson, Sarah Skeen, and Lucie Dale Cluver - BMC Pediatrics, 2017

This study explored the impact of cash grants on children’s cognitive development. Additionally, the authors examined whether combined cash and care (operationalised as good parenting) was associated with improved cognitive outcomes.

Tia Palermo on Evaluation of Social Cash Transfers in Sub-Saharan Africa

UNICEF, 01 Dec 2016

In this Innocenti Podcast, Tia Palermo discusses The Transfer Project, a government run large-scale social cash transfer program in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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The impact of income on reunification among families with children in out-of-home care

JoAnn S. Lee, Jennifer L. Romich, Ji Young Kang, Jennifer L. Hook and Maureen O. Marcenko--Children and Youth Services Review, 13 Oct 2016

This study examines the causal role that the source of income plays in reunification.

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Follow-On Coaching to Households: Para-Social Worker’s Guide

Making Cents International, 01 Sep 2016

This Coaching Guide supports Para-Social Workers (PSWs) to provide households with targeted coaching to increase the adoption of new skills, practices, and knowledge key to child and family wellbeing.

Review of Vulnerability Assessment Methods for Reintegration and Prevention of Child Separation

Whitney Moret, FHI 360, 01 Aug 2016

In this report, which has been prepared to inform planning in the USAID-funded ASPIRES project, the authors present a review of some of the existing tools used to assess vulnerability to either separation or negative child well-being outcomes with attention to economic security for the purposes of targeting households for program participation and matching them to appropriate interventions.

From Evidence to Action: The Story of Cash Transfers and Impact Evaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Edited by Benjamin Davis, Sudhanshu Handa, Nicola Hypher, Natalia Winder Rossi, Paul Winters, and Jennifer Yablonski – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The United Nations Children’s Fund, and Oxford University Press, 12 Jul 2016

This book published jointly by FAO, UNICEF, and Oxford University Press presents the findings from evaluations of the Transfer Project, a cash transfer project undertaken in the following sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It concludes that cash transfers are becoming a key means for social protection in developing countries.

The State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance for every child

UNICEF, 28 Jun 2016

The State of the World’s Children report presents research from around the globe on the status of children, particularly those who are most disadvantaged, and their wellbeing.