Alternative care as a component of child protection systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia

Objectives: To strengthen the European Commission’s knowledge base on the nature, extent and scope of alternative care as a component of child protection systems on other continents. Thereby to inform the Commission’s... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives: To strengthen the European Commission’s knowledge base on the nature, extent and scope of alternative care as a component of child protection systems on other continents. Thereby to inform the Commission’s future approach and strategies for supporting deinstitutionalisation efforts outside Europe, in line with the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.

Methods: Mixed-method research to examine achievements and challenges of child protection systems and alternative care provision in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia and in-depth case studies of Chile, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda. A literature review incorporated consideration of more than 685 documents. Purposive sampling from a respondent profile identified  244 key informants who participated in semi-structured interviews in six countries guided by a chronological interview schedule. Participatory approaches underpinned group work and individual interviews with 170 children and young people with alternative care experience, thus allowing their voices to be heard in the study.

Results: Findings presented in three sub-regional reports, six country reports and a synthesis report, indicate that individual state ability to invest in and strengthen child protection systems and alternative care is weak. Some advances toward legal and normative frameworks have been made, but investment in multi-sectoral family support services to prevent unnecessary separation and provision of suitable alternative care is not being fully realised. 

Conclusions: Given the preponderance of privately funded care settings, particularly residential facilities, it is essential that the State be enabled to take effective control of alternative care system if reforms, including deinstitutionalisation, are to be sustainable. Strategies for this and for preventing the unnecessary separation of children from parental care in the framework of a fully functioning child protection system must be tailored to each country’s socio-cultural and economic context.