All Children have the right to grow up in a supportive and caring family environment.
Whenever possible, children should be cared for by their parents and families. Sometimes
children may face a risk of separation from their families due to several factors. This does not mean parents do not or cannot care for their children in the short-term or long-term. Some parents need additional support to care of their children.
Strengthening at-risk or vulnerable families is the first line of defence against their
breakdown. Its primary purpose is to prevent the separation of children from their biological parents. This is a pivotal intervention as many children in difficult circumstances and institutional care belong to families with poor access to social security measures. Furthermore, family strengthening plays an equally important role for children in family-based alternative care, such as kinship care, foster care, or other customary practices across cultures. Family strengthening is also a sustainable and long-term measure that allows for deinstitutionalisation. Family strengthening and its allied support interventions
must consist of comprehensive legislation, policies and programmes to empower the family
to provide quality care to children within the community. When implemented effectively,
family strengthening forms a complete safety net around children and caregivers to avoid
their neglect, abuse, separation or institutionalisation.
RESOURCES
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Home Thrive ScaleTM - Case Management Tool towards Preventing Family Separation and Ensuring Children Thrive in Family-Based and Alternative Care Options
Audria Choudhury- Miracle Foundation , 2021Case management can be a complex process where multiple factors must be considered for the safety and wellbeing of a child in any care option. Miracle Foundation’s proprietary Home Thrive Scale TM is a strengths-based assessment tool that makes it easier to identify strengths, risks, and address areas of support within a family home over time.
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2021 BICON Conference Report
Rebecca Nhep, The Better Care Network, 2022BICON 2021 was an opportunity for government and intergovernmental representatives, civil society organisations, practitioners, academics and most importantly care experienced young people to come together and discuss the most pressing issues regarding children’s care in Asia. With a focus on implementation, practitioners shared examples of innovation, highlighted promising practices, and showcased local solutions to challenges faced by countries across Asia.
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VULNERABILITIES ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Udayan Care, 2021The Government of Madhya Pradesh, committed to child protection in its State Plan of Action on Alternative Care, 2018 where it stated a clear mandate to promote family-based models of alternative care, including family strengthening programs. Keeping this in mind the CPF of Ujjain conducted its first pilot Child Vulnerability Mapping (CVM) from December 2020 to February 2021 in three blocks of the district (Ujjain, Badnagar and Nagda) with technical support from Udayan Care. This report is a documentation of the process and highlights the key findings of the CVM along with recommendations for the way forward. The CVM received overall support and guidance from the Department of Women and Child Development, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh and UNICEF MP Field Office.