The handbook of the United Nations approved Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children is to be launched on March 7th, 2013 3:00-4:30pm at Room XXII, Human Rights Council, Palais des Nations, Geneva with subsequent launches in New York, Asia, and Africa to follow in the near future. Speakers at the event include Maria Nazareth Farani Azevedo, Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Brazil, a representative from the Permanent Mission of Namibia, Jean Zermatten, the CRC Committee Chairperson, Jean-Claude Legrand, UNICEF Regional Advisor CEE/CIS, Nigel Cantwell, the International Child Protection Consultant, and Mia Dambach, a Steering Group Member of ISS.
The Guidelines were unanimously welcomed at the UN General Assembly in 2009 to provide "orientations for policy and practice" to address the situation of children in danger of becoming unnecessarily separated from their families. The Guidelines are grouped around two principles: that such care is genuinely needed (the necessity principle) and that, when this is so, it is provided in an appropriate manner (the suitability principle). Since the approval of the Guidelines, the continuing challenge has been their implementation.
In an effort to help governments implement these internationally agreed standards and principles, a handbook titled, Moving Forward: Implementing the 'Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children,' was developed to provide guidance. Supervised by an expert steering group, an international team led by CELCIS drafted the core text. Furthermore, hundreds of professionals from governments, NGOS, UN agencies, and academic fed into the drafting process, which includes promising practices from over 60 countries. The handbook was field tested in Argentina and Malawi facilitated by RELAF, Family for Every Child, and the Better Care Network Malawi.
The handbook provides practical guidance on moving forward on the road to alternative care provision for children. It highlights implications for policy-making where national governments should provide leadership as well as provides links to what is already being effectively done on the ground. Child protection agencies call upon governments and civil society to uphold the Guidelines' principles as well as use the handbook to better support families to prevent unnecessary separation and better protect children in need of alternative care. The handbook provides insight and encouragement to all professionals on what can feasibly be done in resource-constrained contexts.
In order to attend the event, a UN accreditation badge is required. A temporary badge can be arranged by contacting mia.dambach@iss-ssi.org by March 4th, 2013.
The press release information is announced in English, French, and Spanish, which can be accessed through the following links:
More information about the handbook along with a copy of the handbook can be downloaded at: http://bettercarenetwork.org/BCN/details.asp?id=30492&themeID=1001&topicID=1007