Bulgaria

Making Decisions for the Better Care of Children: The Role of Gatekeeping in Strengthening Family-Based Care Focuses on the role of gatekeeping in strengthening family-based care and reforming alternative care systems and reviews different approaches to gatekeeping in five countries—Brazil, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Moldova, and Rwanda—to consider what has and has not worked, to analyze lessons learned from practice, and to reflect on the implications for improving policy and programs in this area. (Better Care Network)

Cambodia

Achieving Positive Reintegration: Assessing the Impact of Family Reintegration Tells more about the impact of reintegration of children from five transitional shelters into their families in Cambodia. Explores key factors that contribute to positive, stable outcomes for reintegrated children. (Friends International)

Study on Alternative Care Community Practices for Children in Cambodia Assesses the use of different forms of alternative care for children including the five types of alternative care practices found in Cambodia – kinship care, foster care, pagoda-based care, group homes and residential care institutions and boarding schools. (Hamilton C., Apland K., Dunaiski M. and Yarrow E.)

Chile

Planning the Deinstitutionalization of Children under 3: Guide of Contributions and Examples from Residential Care Institutions ExperiencesIncludes a very useful chronological look at the RELAF deinstitutionalization project in Chile, including assessment, human resources and restructuring spaces, case-by-case work and development of alternative care, and evaluation. Examples from other countries in Latin America also included. (RELAF)

Ethiopia

Permanency for Children: The Development of the BCS Global Foster-to-Adopt Pilot Project in Ethiopia Provides initial documentation of a pilot program launched by Bethany Christian Services in Ethiopia. The pilot aims at moving children from institutional care to family-based care by developing alternative family care for nonrelative children using a foster-to-adopt approach, working through a partnership between faith communities in Ethiopia and faith congregations in the United States. (Bethany Christian Services Global)

The Transitions Initiative: Youth Aging Out of Alternative Care Features results from a needs assessment in Ethiopia, that focused on identifying the strengths, needs, and risks of orphaned and vulnerable adolescents who are transitioning to independence. The data collected has served to inform the overall Transitions Initiative to establish a comprehensive support system for youth aging out of care and to build awareness around the issues that this vulnerable population confronts. (International Organization for Adolescents)

Deinstitutionalization of Street Children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Provides information and recommendations for how to adapt existing standard operational procedures for reintegration of street children to best meet the needs of street children living in institutional care. (Retrak)

The Forsaken Children in Ethiopia Describes a faith-based program of reintegration of street children in Ethiopia. (Cox, A.)

Improving Care Options for Children in Ethiopia through Understanding Institutional Child Care and Factors Driving Institutionalization Provides an in-depth look at residential care in Ethiopia, including information about reasons for placement, as well as a review of the types and quality of residential care facilities for children and youth. (Family Health International)

Ghana

The Social Support Networks of Care Leavers from a Children’s Village in Ghana: Formal and Informal Supports Addresses the lack of social support available to young people during and after they leave care and examines the sources and kinds of support as well as the barriers to social support for a group of care leavers from a children’s village in Ghana. (Frimpong-Manso, K.)

Guatemala

Guatemala Case Management Procedures Includes procedures, process, and roles and responsibilities for for case management in the Guatemala context. (Changing the Way We Care)

India

User Guide on Foster Care Provides a comprehensive approach to the development of a good quality foster care service in India. Detailed guidance on significant steps and stages in the journey to foster care, are included, as well as general guidance helpful to social workers responsible for the child’s placement, for example, attachment theory, impact of trauma on the child, supporting contact with biological families, meeting the child’s education and health needs and preparing the child for independence. (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights & Centre of Excellence in Alternative Care)

Indonesia

Making Decisions for the Better Care of Children: The Role of Gatekeeping in Strengthening Family-Based Care Focuses on the role of gatekeeping in strengthening family-based care and reforming alternative care systems and reviews different approaches to gatekeeping in five countries—Brazil, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Moldova, and Rwanda—to consider what has and has not worked, to analyze lessons learned from practice, and to reflect on the implications for improving policy and programs in this area. (Better Care Network)

Kenya

Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in Kenya Provides guidance to support child welfare and protection practitioners to improve the quality of family support and alternative care services in Kenya, including guardianship, kinship care, shelter, adoption, child-headed households, and supported independent living, and includes sample forms. (Republic of Kenya and UNICEF)

National Standards for Best Practices in Charitable Children’s Institutions Provides comprehensive guidance to help institutions determine which children need to be in their care, how to provide adequate care and protection, and how to plan getting children back to their families and communities. Includes guidance on management, individual care planning, and special topics such as children with disabilities. Includes forms and tools. (Republic of Kenya)

Effective Interventions with Street-Connected Individuals Identifies practices that are contributing to successful reintegration of children from the streets to families in Kisumy, Kenya, as well as unhelpful practices to reconsider and recommendations to mitigate these challenges in the future. (Kisumu Street Children Rehabilitation Consortium)

Kenya Careleavers Conference Report: “How I Left Care” Explores issues surrounding care institutions, specifically in relation to reintegration, the topic of choice for the care leavers. (Kenya Society of Careleavers)

Liberia

Guidelines for Kinship Care, Foster Care and Supported Independent Living in Liberia Includes sections on identifying children, preventing separation, family reintegration, responsibilities, sensitization in the community, and step-by-step guidance for kinship care, foster care, and independent living. (Government of Liberia)

Malawi

All Children Count: A Baseline Study of Children in Institutional Care in Malawi Provides an overview of the situation of children in orphanages in Malawi. The study includes the number of children in care, reason for placement, case planning, and HIV status of staff. (Malawi Ministry of Gender, Children, and Community Development)

Community Action and the Test of Time: Learning from Community Experiences and Perceptions: Case Studies of Mobilization and Capacity Building to Benefit Vulnerable Children in Malawi and Zambia Highlights research on the effectiveness and sustainability of established initiatives for vulnerable children in Zambia and Malawi. Outlines implications for approaches to community mobilization in current programming efforts. (USAID)

Connecting the Dots: A Child Protection Model from Malawi (Catholic Relief Services)

Mexico

Going Home: Children’s Reintegration in Mexico, Moldova and Nepal Summarizes research on children’s reintegration that took place in Mexico, Moldova, and Nepal from 2011 to 2014. Explores the experiences and process of reintegration of separated boys and girls in a variety of contexts. Based on interviews with children, their families, and other stakeholders at different stages of the reintegration process. (Family for Every Child)

Moldova

Webinar 14 Deinstitutionalizing the Alternative Care System for Children: Implications for the Social Service Workforce with Learning From Rwanda and Moldova Discusses the implications of deinstitutionalization for the social service workforce, with specific experiences presented from Rwanda and Moldova. (Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and Better Care Network)

Going Home: Children’s Reintegration in Mexico, Moldova and Nepal Summarizes research on children’s reintegration that took place in Mexico, Moldova, and Nepal from 2011 to 2014. Explores the experiences and process of reintegration of separated boys and girls in a variety of contexts. Based on interviews with children, their families, and other stakeholders at different stages of the reintegration process. (Family for Every Child)

Making Decisions for the Better Care of Children: The Role of Gatekeeping in Strengthening Family-Based Care Focuses on the role of gatekeeping in strengthening family-based care and reforming alternative care systems and reviews different approaches to gatekeeping in five countries—Brazil, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Moldova, and Rwanda—to consider what has and has not worked, to analyze lessons learned from practice, and to reflect on the implications for improving policy and programs in this area. (Better Care Network)

Every Child Moldova’s Programmed Experience: Improving Children’s Lives Through Deinstitutionalization Describes how the Every Child organization undertook transitioning children’s residential care in Moldova. (EveryChild)

Myanmar

Myanmar Kinship Care Handbook Provides guidance, primarily for staff, NGO partners, community child protection groups, and community volunteers in Myanmar (although it may be useful for people in other contexts) in protecting the welfare of children living with extended family members. (Save the Children)

Nepal

Going Home: Children’s Reintegration in Mexico, Moldova and Nepal Summarizes research on children’s reintegration that took place in Mexico, Moldova, and Nepal from 2011 to 2014. Explores the experiences and process of reintegration of separated boys and girls in a variety of contexts. Based on interviews with children, their families, and other stakeholders at different stages of the reintegration process. (Family for Every Child)

Rwanda

Webinar 14 Deinstitutionalizing the Alternative Care System for Children: Implications for the Social Service Workforce with Learning From Rwanda and Moldova Discusses the implications of deinstitutionalization for the social service workforce, with specific experiences presented from Rwanda and Moldova. (Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and Better Care Network)

Making Decisions for the Better Care of Children: The Role of Gatekeeping in Strengthening Family-Based Care Focuses on the role of gatekeeping in strengthening family-based care and reforming alternative care systems and reviews different approaches to gatekeeping in five countries—Brazil, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Moldova, and Rwanda—to consider what has and has not worked, to analyze lessons learned from practice, and to reflect on the implications for improving policy and programs in this area. (Better Care Network)

Sudan

Working with Community-Based Child Protection Committees and Networks: Handbook for Facilitators Provides extensive guidance for working with community actors in child protection based on the experience of several organizations in Sudan. Contains resources for assessment of the community and of families and children. (Child Frontiers)

Uganda

The Children (Approved Homes) Rules Outlines statutory rules from Uganda on care homes for children, including the purpose of such homes, application process for approval, management, record keeping,  and children’s removal from homes. Includes forms used for application, child care records, and staff codes of conduct. (Alternative Care for Children in Uganda)

Notable Chronicles the challenges of disability for children and young adults, and proclaims the worth and beauty of every human being. (Brian Hill and 99 Balloons)

Deinstitutionalization of Vulnerable Children in Uganda Describes efforts to support the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development (MoGLSD) to implement its national Alternative Care Framework. The project improved the safety, well-being, and development of vulnerable children, especially those living without family care across 12 districts in Uganda by strengthening informal child protection mechanisms and mobilizing communities to monitor children’s wellbeing and strengthen the household economy and parenting skills. (ChildFund)

Zambia

Minimum Standards of Care for Child Care Facilities Zambia Contains a set of regulations and procedures that the Zambian Government has established as the “Minimum Standards of Care for Child Care Facilities”. (Republic of Zambia)

Community Action and the Test of Time: Learning from Community Experiences and Perceptions: Case Studies of Mobilization and Capacity Building to Benefit Vulnerable Children in Malawi and Zambia Highlights research on the effectiveness and sustainability of established initiatives for vulnerable children in Zambia and Malawi. Outlines implications for approaches to community mobilization in current programming efforts. (USAID)

Factors Related to the Placement into and Reintegration of Children from Catholic Affiliated Residential Care Facilities in Zambia