Resources Database

In Ghana, different factors such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, parental and child disability, often lead to children becoming separated from their parents. As part of the current childcare reform, the system is focusing on preventing the institutionalization of children through family support services. However, there is little research evidence on the provision of family support services in Ghana and other lower-and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

While many studies have evaluated how and why front-line workers choose to leave the child welfare workforce, few sources of data have been available to assess and compare child welfare workforces across jurisdictions and over time. This study describes and makes available a new data source that researchers and policy makers can use to explore the effects of workforce characteristics on child and family outcomes, and to evaluate factors leading to changes in the workforce over time.

International research consistently shows that young care leavers’ journey from care to emerging adulthood is characterised by adversities such as unemployment, poor academic performance, homelessness, involvement in criminal activities, mental illness and early parenthood.

ZAMFAM used the case management approach which tracks the beneficiary from identification to graduation. The case management cycle involves a ZAMFAM methodology of scaled up community engagement from the first step of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) identification, followed by assessment, case opening, child and family support planning, support and referral services, monitoring and review and case closure.

This article describes the development of an information system, built in order to monitor the data gathered in the context of a pilot project for early child protection interventions with unaccompanied minors. The project included multidisciplinary expert teams, that carried out interviews with children and young people from the moment of their arrival on the Italian territory, assessing their strengths and needs. A comprehensive information system was developed with the extensive input of social workers, applying a participatory approach.

Access to justice is both a fundamental human right and an essential prerequisite for the protection and promotion of all human rights. Children’s access to justice is therefore central to UNICEF’s mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights. This rapid analysis documents how UNICEF programming on access to justice for children is shifting rapidly to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its unique impacts on children in the justice system.

During 2020, social workers were operating in new circumstances resulting from the global spread of the Covid-19 virus. The pandemic, and the restrictions implemented to control it, impacted on every area of our lives. As part of its response, BASW conducted two surveys exploring the impact of working during the pandemic for social workers. This report presents the initial findings from the second of these two surveys.

This policy brief is for global donors and policy makers. It sets out what global policy changes are required, based on the latest evidence related to children and adolescents affected by HIV, and those working alongside them. It calls for action in nine areas including to integrate biomedical, social and economic support. Social protection, support for mental health, nurturing care for early childhood development, and child protection are especially needed alongside biomedical interventions.

This guide consolidates COVID-19 guidance for human resources for health managers and policy-makers at national, subnational and facility levels to design, manage and preserve the workforce necessary to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain essential health services. The guide identifies recommendations at individual, management, organizational and system levels. Lessons and guidance are applicable to the social service workforce delivering essential services during COVID-19.

The guidance covers the following domains:

This toolkit has been developed as part of WHO’s mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which aims to ensure that people with mental health conditions receive high-quality, evidence-based mental health services that promote human rights, dignity and equity. It also aims to achieve universal health coverage through integration of mental health services throughout primary, secondary facility-based and community-based care.

This toolkit is divided into two parts:

To address increasing violent discipline and child protection concerns, support services are needed for families that promote young children’s nurturing upbringing while promoting self-care among their primary caregivers. This toolkit contains five main sections with resources for caregivers, parents and social service workers, including guidance services and alternative strategies. 

The purpose of this study was to review monitoring and evaluation frameworks, which have been developed for the field of Children’s Care and to analyze the potential for a common measurement framework. 

This study estimated the anticipated effect of COVID-19 on violent discipline at home using multivariable predictive regression models. This study is motivated by concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has potentially increased children’s risk of experiencing violence. The pandemic has led to the disruption of formal and informal child protection systems responsible for identification of and response to cases of violence.

Electronic case management systems streamline the reporting of OVC indicators, provides greater visibility and accountability for partners, and allows service providers to monitor program performance and outcomes. An electronic case management system is proven to be effective in storing key beneficiary information, tracking routine supporting service data, and tracks the progress towards completion of an individual’s care plan.

Several months into the COVID-19 crisis, the questions above remain largely unanswered. However, evidence is beginning to emerge that points to increased risks for children with disabilities as well as reduced access to services. Understanding such risks and assessing the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic are key to shaping a response that takes into account the needs of all children.

High-income countries have very limited experience of dealing with health crises, having their health and human services stretched beyond capacity, restricting the travel of their populations or having to close workplaces and schools – let alone experience of all of these things combined. These unique conditions create new and serious challenges for the economies and societies of all high-income countries. As these challenges evolve, children – as dependents – are among those at greatest risk of seeing their living standards fall and their personal well-being decline.

If children are to be at the heart of the COVID-19 response and recovery plans, care and caregivers must be prioritized as a matter of urgency. This discussion paper outlines the extraordinary challenges facing children and families across the globe, and the steps that can be taken to ensure their inclusion in COVID-19 recovery plans.

This Training Manual for Caregivers of Children with disabilities has been developed to equip caregivers of children with disabilities (which include biological parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, caregivers in institutions, caregivers in day care centers, healthcare providers, teachers of special needs schools, etc.) with the needed knowledge and skill in order for them to be able to provide the required quality of care for the children for them to grow and develop well and become productive in society despite their disabilities.

The Home Parenting Education and Support (HoPES) programme is a new intensive 8-week home-visiting intervention supporting the preservation and reunification of families with young children (aged 0–4 years) receiving child protection services following child abuse and/or neglect in Australia. This study aimed to review the program, how it was supporting families, major challenges and generate evidence to inform further development of a trauma informed and culturally sensitive intervention.

This rapid evidence assessment synthesized findings from 89 studies of interventions to protect children on the move to consolidate key findings while highlighting evidence gaps and data needs. The findings and suggestions are particularly relevant for policymakers and those working in social welfare.