Resources Database

Social workers are working at all levels - macro, mezzo, and micro - and adjusting their practices by temporarily discontinuing face-to-face services and moving to remote contact with clients, while maintaining the essential human relationships between providers and clients. This article highlights how they are continuing to provide mental health/psychosocial support, medical social work, community sensitization, relief and advocacy, and the challenges they face.

This resource is a compilation of articles on topics related to early childhood development during COVID-19. The 'Scaling' section explores the implementation of diverse early childhood policies and programmes in different parts of the world and the challenges that must be considered when working at scale. This section also highlights the importance of incorporating mental health as a priority policy in early childhood health and care systems.

There has recently been increased interest in the potential for formal and informal networks to aid interventions with biologic families in helping them achieve reunification in the context of the child protection system. When group support is provided to families, the creation of a network of social support seems to be a consequence. The article analyzes the conceptualization of social support in order to create social support networks and the benefits on the intervention with families in the framework of the child protection system through a systematic review.

This follow up report reviews 28 new studies on violence against women and children during COVID-19 and details some of the challenges providers face in providing services to those affected and recommends that additional attention and reporting on ethics is needed to ensure a ‘do no harm’ approach.

Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight child protection workers and 19 parents, this first study of its kind in Ghana reports participants’ experiences of participatory practices. Workers indicated they ensured transparency and diversity while promoting participatory practices and parents reported their engagement in decision making as a prominent feature of their participation in case meetings. Barriers to participation were identified by the participants.

Across the country, service providers and decisionmakers scrambled to find ways to meet families’ needs in a changed landscape. Among the patchwork of services and programs for young children and their families, a coordinated effort was needed. In this moment of crisis, the value of local early childhood systems became especially apparent.

This publication details some of the responsive services and needs for holistic support to refugees, including mental health and psychosocial support. Community-based structures, such as para-social workers, child protection committees, and village health teams, play a key role in providing psychosocial support services to survivors, including counseling, advising them in seeking legal support, and linking them to NGOs for additional help.

The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, initially released in 2012 and revised in 2019, and the 2016 INSPIRE seven strategies package to end violence against children both promote similar approaches and principles to ensure that every child can grow up safe and secure. In some contexts, using CPMS and INSPIRE in conjunction offers the potential to strengthen approaches and deliver better results for children affected by humanitarian crises.

Drawing upon the case study of ACE Zambia this paper seeks to demonstrate the merit of family-based care as the prefered method of care for vulnerable children. The goal is to demonstrate a working model of family-based care as replicable framework that can be modified for other regions and circumstances.

In June 2020, the Child Protection section of UNICEF’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) conducted a survey across every country in the Region to find out how governments and partners have been using digital technology to respond to child protection issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey aimed to enhance understanding of the use of digital platforms for child protection.

Throughout 2020, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures have layered risk upon risk for children in humanitarian crises. Although the overall funding for child protection is increasing, the funding gap remains wide due to the needs increasing at an alarming rate.

As a follow up to the 2019 report, this study estimates the total humanitarian funding allocated to child protection in 2019 with an in-depth analysis of 17 humanitarian response plans.

This manual defines what is meant by supervision in social services, outlines the key elements of good practice in supervision and summarizes the different forms of supervision.

Drawing from 87 survey responses from NGOs on how their service provision was affected during COVID-19, data revealed that the pandemic and restrictive measures were associated with increased risk factors for vulnerable children and families, including not having access to vital services. As a result, 10 recommendations are made for service providers working with vulnerable children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic for public and private service providers working with this population.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some governments have mandated that residential care providers rapidly return children and youth to family. Survey data from 67 organizations revealed that rapid return was characterized by compressed timelines that did not allow for adequate child and family assessment and preparation. However, all respondents indicated they believed at least some families would be able to remain intact safely with appropriate support.

This briefing explores the importance of self-care for parents and carers, while outlining some ‘top-tips’ and helpful resources that can be accessed online. it is important to remember that self-care practices in their varying forms can offer people an important space to focus, process emotions and better cope with the stress of these uncertain times.

COVID-19 has highlighted and amplified structural inequalities; drawing attention to issues of racism, poverty, xenophobia as well as arguably ineffective government policies and procedures. In South Africa, the pandemic and the resultant national lockdown has highlighted the shortcomings in the protection and care of children. Children in alternative care are particularly at risk as a result of disrupted and uncoordinated service delivery.

As part of the process to strengthen the Ghanaian social welfare workforce, a ‘social welfare workforce capacity assessment was conducted to develop a long-term capacity building strategy for the social welfare service sector in Ghana’ in 2019. The report notes existing gaps and needs and provides recommendations for specific actions to strengthen the workforce.

This evidence synthesis analyses emerging practices and preliminary guidance for engaging children in the response to CP challenges during the various stages of COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks (e.g. Ebola). It explores both barriers and opportunities to the meaningful and authentic participation of children during COVID-19. It includes case studies and recommendations, including how the social service workforce can lead in child participation.

Practical guidance on the adaptations and considerations needed to support children in alternative care or entering alternative care during COVID-19.

A new child protection thematic report shows the impact of COVID-19 on child protection, including increased incidences of GBV and increased stressors. The report calls for government leaders and decision-makers to increase efforts to protect children from the impacts of COVID-19 by designating the social service workforce as essenital workers and providing funding for child protection programming, including for caregiver's mental health and psychosocial support, among other measures.