Preventing Separation

Children are highly vulnerable to separation from their parents in conflict, displacement or disasters. Families may flee for their safety and lose loved ones in the chaos, parents may leave their children or send them away for their own safety or in the belief they will be better cared for by others. Children may lose their parents to disease, injury or death, while others may be abducted by armed forces, or trafficked.

Relevant authorities and organizations should provide coordinated action to reduce separation and endeavour to keep children as close to their parents, relatives and community as possible. When the possibility of separation can be anticipated, such as when an attack is possible or a movement of a population is anticipated or planned, community education should be undertaken. Families should be alerted to the risks of separation and encouraged to take precautions. Such precautions may include ensuring their child has undergone birth registration, teaching children their full names and addresses, encouraging children to wear name tags at all times, agreeing on a meeting place in case of separation, and making sure children are accompanied by a known adult whenever possible. This is particularly important when there are high risks of sexual violence, abduction and trafficking. In circumstances where the evacuation of a population is necessary, family groups should be moved together. Children should not be evacuated on their own.

Agencies should endeavour to avoid unnecessary separation by ensuring that households have adequate basic provisions. All services such as food aid, health services, and emergency care should be reviewed to ensure they do not encourage the separation or abandonment of children.

This section includes information on the causes of separation, how to assess a situation, and guidance on community messages and practices to reduce the incidence of children becoming separated.

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No Small Matter: Ensuring Protection and Durable Solutions for Unaccompanied and Separated Children

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service for UNHCR, 01 May 2007

Guidance and preconditions on use of Best Interests Determination for unaccompanied and separated children

http://www.crin.org/docs/NoSmallMatter.pdf

Someone that Matters: The Quality of Care in Childcare Institutions in Indonesia

Florence Martin and Tata Sudrajat, Save the Children, Indonesia Ministry of Social Affairs, UNICEF, 07 Jan 2007

Comprehensive evaluation of national responses and level of care standards for children without parental care in Indonesia.

The Lost Ones: Emergency Care and Family Tracing for Separated Children from Birth to Five Years

Marie de La Soudiere, Jan Williamson, and Jaqueline Botte, 2007

Practical guidance on how to care for young children separated from their families in emergencies. Includes discussions of best practices in family tracing, promoting child development, and family reunification. Also provides strategies for the prevention of family separation.

The Lost Ones. Emergency Care and Family Tracing for Separated Children from Birth to Five Years

Save the Children Alliance, UNHCR, UNICEF and OHCHR, 2007

Guidance on how to care for the children under five who are separated from their families in emergencies. Includes chapters on tracing, registering, verification, reunification, and the provision of care to meet developmental needs.

Issue Brief Number Three: Child Care, An Essential Service for Disaster Recovery

Save the Children, 2007

A short paper on the importance of child care provision as a critical service in helping local communities recover post disaster. It gives 4 policy recommendations for protecting and restoring child care infrastructure.

The Challenges of El Salvador's Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Red Solidaria

Tatiana Feitosa de Britto, International Poverty Centre, 2007

Provides analysis of the historical background and current structure of El Salvador's conditional cash transfer programme with attention to family integration

IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

Inter-Agency Standing Committee, 31 Dec 2006

Guidelines for a multi-sectoral response to the most urgent mental health and psychosocial issues in emergency situations.

Committee on the Rights of the Child Day of General Discussion: Children without Parental Care

Committee on the Rights of the Child, 17 Mar 2006

The Committee on the Rights of the Child held a day of general discussion on 16 September on “Children without parental care”.

A Sense of Belonging: Case studies in positive care options for children

David Tolfree, 2006

Save the Children's "First Resort" series focuses on the needs and rights of children who, for a wide variety of reasons, are lacking adequate parental care. This third paper in the First Resort series presents practical examples of the range of options available to policy-makers, practitioners and others with responsibilities for the care and protection of children without adequate parental care.

Separated Children: Care and Protection of Children in Emergencies

Save the Children Federation, 2005

Guidance on preventing child separation, interviewing separated children, and programming for their care and protection needs. Contains specific information on temporary and longer term care options.