Social Protection Policies and Programmes

Poverty affects both the quality and length of children’s lives, reduces the ability of families to adequately provide for their children, and is a significant cause of family breakdown and child separation. Social assistance programmes aim to reduce child poverty and act as a safety net for families with minimal resources.

Such programmes include in-kind and in-cash transfers, and food for work initiatives. Social assistance programmes are a part of social welfare and must include clear child care policies that protect children and strengthen family and community capacities to access services and provide care.

Cash transfers are a means of financially supporting the most vulnerable households to improve the child’s access to essential goods and services, such as health and education. They include the use of child support grants, child and family allowances and targeted and conditional cash transfers. They may be combined with investment in child education and health services, and redistributive tax policies.

In-kind transfers provide access to essential goods and services instead of cash payments. Conditional cash transfers provide money to poor families on achieving certain actions, such as sending children to school.

Social assistance programmes may struggle to target those most in need, and provide sustainable support. Economic policies, including social assistance, and household economic strengthening, require substantial research, monitoring, and gatekeeping to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable are reached and that long term benefits can be achieved for families, including child headed households.

The literature in this section provides country examples and analyses of social assistance programs, focusing primarily on cash transfer schemes.

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How wealthy are orphans and vulnerable children households in a metropolitan community, South-West Nigeria?

Oyindamola B Yusuf, Temitayo Odusote, Olusanmi Iyabode, Joanna Nwosu, Tessie Phillips–Ononye, Ayo S Adebowale, Elijah A Bamgboye - African Population Studies, 01 Nov 2017

This study determined the socio-economic status of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in relation to service areas in Lagos Nigeria.

Childonomics Introduction to the conceptual framework and methodology

Childonomics project - Eurochild, 31 Oct 2017

The Childonomics project has developed an instrument that can help to reflect on the long-term social and economic return of investing in children and families.

Determinants of Effective Utilization of Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children by Caregivers in Kenya: A Case of Tigania West, Meru County

Stephen Njenga Mwangi & Dr. Anne Ndiritu - International Academic Journal of Information Sciences and Project Management , 17 Oct 2017

The purpose of the study was to investigate the determinants of the effective utilization of cash transfer for orphans and vulnerable children by caregivers in Tigania West SubCounty which has 1320 beneficiaries in the programme.

Violence Against Children in All Care Settings: Africa Expert Consultation (Final Report)

African Child Policy Forum & Better Care Network, 09 Oct 2017

This report describes the details of the Africa Expert Consultation: Violence Against Children in All Care Settings, which took place 21-22 June 2017.

Violence Against Children in All Care Settings: Africa Expert Consultation (Annex)

African Child Policy Forum & Better Care Network, 09 Oct 2017

This Annex compiles the presentations delivered at the 21-22 June 2017 Africa Expert Consultation on Violence Against Children in All Care Settings and is intended to accompany the Final Report of the meeting.

A multisectoral approach to childhood development

The Lancet, 30 Sep 2017

This editorial by The Lancet draws connections between early childhood development, education and childhood violence, illustrating the need for early and cross-sectoral investments in children.

Care Reform in Uganda: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation and USAID , 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Uganda, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.

Care Reform in Ghana: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation and USAID, 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Ghana, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.

Care Reform in Armenia: Timeline of System Achievements

MEASURE Evaluation and USAID, 15 Sep 2017

This infographic provides a historical timeline of the alternative care reform process in Armenia, marking key achievements in the establishment of policies, strategies, guidelines, procedures, and programs to improve the quality of care and protection for children without adequate family care.

Starting with the end in view: Designing OVC programs with responsible exit planning for families, programs and national systems

4Children/OVCsupport.org, 12 Sep 2017

In this webinar recording, 4Children and KIDSS share learning about how to prepare and plan, at the family and programmatic level, for exiting out of OVC programs.

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