Leading aid and development agencies have come together for the first time to create new Guidelines on the Reintegration of Children. The Guidelines call for greater investment in reintegration, and advocate for it to be pursued as the primary response before other permanent care options are considered. They are intended to help governments, donors, NGOs, faith-based organisations and practitioners working in a broad range of circumstances to make the right choices for separated children. They set out the principles for effective reintegration and provide practical guidance and case studies to demonstrate how reintegration can and should operate. They can help organisations to design high quality programmes; train practitioners to respond more effectively to the needs of reintegrating children; and pursue national level systemic change in support of reintegration. The Guidelines are also a comprehensive starting point for more context specific policies and guidance.
Separated children are an increasingly urgent priority as all regions of the world grapple with unprecedented levels of conflict, disasters, mass migration, poverty and violence. Reintegrating separated children back into their own families and communities is most often the best way to prevent and remedy the many challenges they face. Reintegration is a sustained and complex process that must be handled carefully in order to be effective. There are several key priorities in creating an environment that is fully supportive of reintegration. These include:
- Creating national level guidance and policies on children’s reintegration that are in line with the UNCRC, and are guided by other relevant
global policies and guidance, including the new Guidelines of the Reintegration of Children - Building a child welfare workforce with the necessary skills and attitudes to support children’s reintegration
- Establishing a casework system that supports children and families through all stages of the reintegration process
- Coordinating and collaboration with actors working in the child protection sector, and those working in other systems, including
health, education and economic strengthening, and those supporting
children with disabilities - Recognising and supporting the vital role played by communities in children’s reintegration
- Working to address the root causes of initial and re-separation, such
as poverty and violence - Developing strategies to address discrimination against children that have reintegrated
- Evaluating reintegration programmes, and checking for and
addressing gaps in coverage
Learn more and download guidelines
Jedd Medefind on Guidelines:
"A coalition of leading aid and development agencies this week is rolling out first-of-their-kind “Guidelines on Children’s Reintegration.” These guidelines are designed to provide practitioners, governments, NGOs and other key actors in child welfare with both principles and practical guidance for effective reintegration of children separated from their families for a wide range of reasons, from civil war and natural disaster to poverty."