Dear Colleagues and Friends: Now that we are almost three months into this global pandemic, we wanted to share with you some updates. But before we do so, we would like to thank you all for your hard work and engagement to help protect children in the face of the challenges COVID-19 and other recent events has brought upon the world. And doing so, when many of you are dealing with difficult personal dilemma, including childcare and education, additional stress and uncertainty about the future....
09 Jun 2020
Child Protection Case Management (CP CM) is part of the essential services that cannot be stopped suddenly, but which requires adaptation to the new emergency. This technical note builds on existing response action from several countries and case management task force agencies. It provides considerations for adapting CP CM interventions to the COVID-19 pandemic and to better understand the important role of case management in the emergency. The table below makes suggestions for contingency...
27 May 2020
The Alliance has now produced a version 2 of the technical note on the protection of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim of this brief: To support child protection practitioners and policy makers in putting the child’s safety and well-being at the centre of their COVID-19 pandemic response. Part 1, structured around the CPMS, discusses children’s specific protection needs in the context of COVID-19 and highlights the secondary risks that result from the public health prevention and...
27 May 2020
As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, child protection actors and service providers are exploring how they can continue to provide support to children, families and communities remotely through the use of technology. This includes child helplines, which, over the last decade, have become increasingly important in responding to concerns raised by children and young people on a range of issues affecting their lives. This note has been developed with two main objectives in mind: To provide...
23 May 2020
Every day a child remains with an armed force or group, he or she is at risk of physical, psychological and sexual violence, and even death. Prevention of recruitment; separating children from armed forces and groups; responding to their needs; and supporting the reintegration process are all life-saving interventions. Actions to address the needs of Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups (CAAFAG) must continue in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and in coordination with associated...
15 May 2020
Infectious diseases like COVID-19 can disrupt the protective environments in which children grow and develop. Disruptions to families, friendships, daily routines and the wider community can have negative consequences for children’s well-being, development and protection. COVID-19 also has a direct impact on the ability of child protection actors to engage with communities, as well as on the ability of communities to self-protect and support each other. Learning from past infectious disease...
06 May 2020
Worldwide, an estimated 152 million children are in child labour, almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour. The global health crisis is leading to mass disruption with far-reaching consequences. Many children are out of school and economic pressures on families continue to grow. This could push millions of children into child labour and makes child labour an imminent concern. Already working children are likely to be more exposed to the virus (further increasing spread)...
04 May 2020
It is abundantly clear that risk factors for violence, abuse, and neglect are on the rise for children under containment. At the same time, some COVID-19 prevention measures have abruptly cut children off from positive and supportive relationships they rely on when in distress, including at school, in the extended family, and in the community. Children’s rights to safety and protection as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in...
28 Apr 2020
A well-supported, appropriately equipped, empowered, and protected social service workforce is essential to mitigating the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social service workers can build on their existing strong ties to children, families, and communities to rapidly respond in ways that are effective. However, to do so, they must stay safe and healthy. This document is intended to provide guidance on how to support the social service workforce and empower them to safely serve...
09 Apr 2020
Evidence from previous infectious disease outbreaks indicate that existing child protection risks are exacerbated, and new ones emerge, as a result of the epidemic as well as of the socioeconomic impacts of prevention and control measures. Some children are at increased risk in these circumstances, especially those without parental/family care, those at risk of separation from family, those in alternative care, and those who have recently left alternative care. The aim of this Technical Note is...
08 Apr 2020
Experience from previous infectious disease outbreaks indicates that new child protection risks are likely to emerge from the direct effects of COVID-19 as well as from measures to prevent and control its spread. Moreover, existing child protection risks are likely to be exacerbated. Some groups of people are more vulnerable in these circumstances, including, as discussed in this note, children deprived of their liberty, who often have compromised psychosocial, physical and mental health issues...