Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children
ATD Fourth World supports the welcoming by consensus of the these Guidelines, which include the principle that, "Financial and material poverty, or conditions directly and uniquely imputable to such poverty, should never be the only justification for the removal of a child from parental care."
The motivation behind the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children stem from a recognition of significant gaps in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child for millions of children worldwide either without, or at risk of losing, parental care. The Guidelines are the result of five years of discussions and negotiation between the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, governments led by Brazil, UNICEF, experts and academics, representatives of non-governmental organisations, including young people with care experience.
The Guidelines outline the need for relevant policy and practice with respect to the necessity and appropriateness of Alternative Care. This is underlined by a desire to support children to remain with, and be cared for by, their family. Removing any child from his/her family should be a measure of last resort, and before any such decision is taken, a rigorous participatory assessment is required. The suitability of the placement should be regularly reviewed to assess the continued necessity of providing alternative care, and the viability of potential reunification with the family.
The next step is to disseminate and raise awareness of the Guidelines at national level to ensure their positive impact on the lives of vulnerable children and their families.
The official text is available in the six working languages of the UN website.
A publication outlining the Guidelines is available from the SOS-Children’s Villages International website
