Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children: On the way to the United Nations General Assembly

Whilst the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrates its 20th anniversary on 20 November this year, there remains a pressing need for guidance in implementing the convention for millions of children worldwide without, or at risk of losing, parental care. These children face many challenges to their rights to be cared for, to education, and to access health care.

Over the last five years, SOS Children's Villages International has been a leading organisation in supporting the development of these Guidelines and promoting them towards official adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in November. The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children are intended to enhance the implementation of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child in matters of protection and well-being of children who are in need of alternative care, or who are at risk of so being. It therefore focuses on two main aspects: Ensure that children do not find themselves placed in alternative care unnecessarily; and on the other hand, out-of-home care provided is of a type and quality that corresponds to the rights and specific needs of the child concerned. The non-binding Guidelines address not only governments but also international bodies and organisations, civil society, professionals, non-profit organisations and the private sector to the extent that they are directly or indirectly involved with organising, providing or monitoring out-of-home care for children.

Children without parental care, or at risk of losing parental care, are the focus of SOS Children. SOS Children includes specifically of family strengthening interventions to keep families together, and offers alternative care in a family environment when required. We strengthen and support families through tailor-made programmes (counselling services, life-skills training, income-generating activities, material support, capacity-building of recourses in the community), so that families are empowered and capable of caring for and protecting their children.