Global inter-agency guidelines on children's reintegration

The Global Guidelines on Children's Reintegration were developed through collaboration with over 40 national and international NGOs and UN agencies, They are based on an extensive global literature review and consultations... [ view full abstract ]

The Global Guidelines on Children's Reintegration were developed through collaboration with over 40 national and international NGOs and UN agencies, They are based on an extensive global literature review and consultations with children in 3 countries. They were extensively tested in two settings. They cover the reintegration of a range of children in crisis, including those on the streets, separated by conflict or natural disasters, trafficked or in alternative care. The Guidelines provide principles of good practice in children's reintegration, along with specific guidance on different stages of the reintegration process. They are aimed at programme designers and policy makers. The Guidelines show that for reintegration to be successful, it must be considered to be a process as opposed to a one off event. Children and families must be adequately prepared, and once they return home, extensive monitoring and follow-up support is needed. Successful reintegration processes will consider the plethora of children's material and non-material needs. They will work with individual children through a case management approach, and with schools and wider communities to challenge stigma and enhance support mechanisms. Published in 2016, it the hoped that the Guidelines will be used to design programmes, develop policies, advocate for greater resource allocations to reintegration, and evaluate the success of programmes. Specifically, it is hoped that the Guidelines will encourage national governments to engage on this important issue. The Guidelines represent impressive collaboration and policy alignment between child protection actors across the world working in emergency and non-emergency contexts, and with a wide range of separated children. They have been endorsed by many of largest child protection agencies in the world, but also build heavily upon the experiences of separated children and of actors working on the ground.