Resources Database

This catalogue showcases many promising innovations and adaptations in child protection services by Save the Children to ensure continuity of services during COVID-19. It shares examples lessons learned as good practice that can inform others on adapting services in future health crises but also as consideration for long-term implementation to achieve child protection progress.

Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic – along with previous infectious disease outbreaks – suggests that existing child protection violations are exacerbated, and new risks emerge, in times of crisis. In addition to the adverse impacts of detention and incarceration on their well-being, children risk contracting the virus when detained in confined and overcrowded spaces. They are also more vulnerable to neglect and abuse, especially if staffing levels or care are undermined by the pandemic or containment measures.

This report shares shares examples of good practice in pivoting existing coordination mechanisms and services in Palestine. In 2016, important changes were initiated in the criminal justice system for children with the adoption of the Juvenile Protection Law in the State of Palestine.

Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and Education in Emergencies are highly complementary areas of humanitarian response.

Girls and boys the world over have been devastated by COVID-19’s aftershocks. Before the pandemic, more than one billion children experienced violence every year. As the crisis unfolded, up to 85 million more children found themselves at risk of violence at home, online and in their communities.

This brief outlines actions for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation, including building capacity for services and investing resources to prevent and respond including in the areas of child protection.

UNICEF is preparing to draft a new Child Protection Strategy to replace the 2008 Child Protection Strategy (the 2008 Strategy). As part of this process, a number of background technical papers have been commissioned as input to the decision-making. This technical paper explores the contribution Public Finance for Children (PF4C) can make to realizing child protection objectives. Firstly, it identifies areas that should be prioritized when planning PF4C-type studies and activities to effectively support the achievement of sector-specific objectives.

In response to increasing concerns about the protection issues facing children in detention during the COVID-19 crisis, an Inter-Agency ‘Technical Note: COVID-19 and Children Deprived of their Liberty’ was published in April 2020. It contains recommendations for governments and other detaining authorities on the urgent release of juveniles. This brief shares the experiences of 16 countries in using this technical note and details positive outcomes within the country.

In this briefing, Save the Children shares the process they used to successfully advocate to the government of Nepal to begin planning for and allocating annual funding for social protection programming for orphan and vulnerable children.

In this report, children and young people share the impact that COVID-19 has had on their lives. It concludes by making several recommendations and calling for increased funding and policies for services and actors in the areas of child protection, MHPSS  and social protection.

Focusing on Germany, this article aims to explore some of the effects of the COVID-19 measures on children and families. Furthermore, it examines a number of key challenges for child protection practitioners. These include identifying potential cases of child maltreatment without the support normally provided by teachers and child carers; and establishing and maintaining contact with clients under physical distancing rules.

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: