Displaying 1 - 10 of 11
This booklet from SOS Children’s Villages International was created for young people to explain in a simple manner the main points of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009. The booklet helps its young audience think about the principles of alternative care and what these mean for children and families in different situations. By recommending and instructing actions children and youth can take under each principle, the booklet encourages its audience to advocate for adequate care and protection for…
This handbook, 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…
Las directrices sobre las modalidades alternativas de cuidado de los niños fueron endosados por la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas el 20 de noviembre de 2009, en conexión con el 20a aniversario de la Convención de los Derechos del Niño de la ONU. Este día marcó una culminación de los años de discusiones y negociaciones dirigidas por el gobierno de Brázil en colaboración con Group of Friends y la sociedad civil. Las Directrices fueron diseñadas para proveer orientación más con respecto a la relación entre cuidado parental y el entorno familiar del niño, metas para el cuidado…
The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children were endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly on 20th November 2009, in connection with the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This momentous day marked a culmination of years of discussions and negotiations led by the Government of Brazil, in partnership with Group of Friends and civil society. The Guidelines were designed to provide further guidance regarding the definition of the relationship between parental care and the child’s family environment, goals for alternative care, and…
The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children were endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly on 20th November 2009, in connection with the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This momentous day marked a culmination of years of discussions and negotiations led by the Government of Brazil, in partnership with Group of Friends and civil society. The Guidelines were designed to provide further guidance regarding the definition of the relationship between parental care and the child’s family environment, goals for alternative care, and…
Today’s families faced innumerable struggles even before the global economic crisis created an additional dimension of uncertainty. Many families grapple with poverty, lack of opportunities to earn a livelihood, and consequent difficulties in meeting basic needs such as food and shelter. Others confront a daily reality of violence, whether within the family or in the wider community due to such causes as urban gangs or civil unrest. AIDS, drug abuse, natural disasters – it is not difficult to continue the list of factors that place families in today’s world under stress.
When families are…
The principle of the best interests of the child has been the subject of extensive consideration in academic, operational and other circles. Legal documents relating to the protection of children, including those adopted by UNHCR's Executive Committee on children of concern to the Office, systematically refer to it. How to apply this principle in practice, however, often remains challenging for UNHCR and its partners. Limited guidance is available on how to operationalize the best interests principle. UNHCR's Guidelines on Determining the Best Interests of the Child are intended as one step…
The UNHCR Guidelines on Formal Determination of the Best Interests of the Child are part of the commitment (Agenda for Protection Goal 6.2.) by UNHCR to disseminate materials on the rights of refugee children, drawing on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights law. Information collected from a variety of reports, including the Annual Protection Reports, as well as through participatory assessments, indicates that there is no consistency among field offices as to when and how Best Interests Determinations should be carried out.
The Guidelines are for…
In almost all armed conflicts, mass population displacements, natural disasters and other crises, a number of children become separated from their families or from other adults responsible for them. These children form one of the most vulnerable groups in these situations, often deprived of care and protection. Most can be reunited with parents, siblings, members of the extended family or other adults whom they know and who are willing to provide for their care.
Action on behalf of unaccompanied and separated children should be guided by principles enshrined in international standards. The…
Of the millions of children throughout the world who are in out-of-home care, most are being looked after by grandparents or other members of their family. This form of care – known as kinship care – is indeed the most significant “alternative care” solution in a wide variety of countries.
While there is a considerable a priori advantage for a child to be looked after by family members or others familiar to him or her, often in the original community, kinship in itself is no guarantee of welfare, protection and ability to cope. Yet kinship care is often subjected to far less…