As India recovers from the second wave of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it has resulted in a severe impact on children and families. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI, 577 children have been orphaned since May 2021. The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has shared that over 9,3000 children have lost parents or have been abandoned since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. In the backdrop of deaths and COVID related health burden in families, extended periods of shutdown and loss of employment opportunities, the pandemic has pushed families to the brink of crisis. Children face an increased risk of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation, leading to separation. Practitioners, researchers and policymakers highlight the importance of care of children in a family environment by keeping families together and ensuring services for family-based alternative care. This webinar will bring together speakers and organisations from different countries and offers an opportunity to learn from their interventions on family strengthening and alternative care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The session will focus on the following: Parenting messaging videos and community-level work, in particular to relieving parental stress, preventing violence in the home (Nepal, Save the Children) Cash support added to case management with a focus on addressing the prevention of separation and addressing loss/lack of livelihood (Cambodia, Family Care First|REACT) Adaptation to virtual case management due to COVID to support reintegration into family care from residential care (Kenya, CTWWC) Gatekeeping in the context of COVID – tracing extended family for kinship care arrangement, psychosocial support to children and families in kinship care and families where children have lost one parent (India, CINI) Emergency foster care practice in COVID context (TBC) We encourage you to submit your questions to our panellists in advance at iacnsecretariat@gmail.com.