Introduction

Introduction

Child protection system reform

Child protection system reform

Issue

Issue

Action

Action

Impact

Impact

Juvenile Justice

Juvenile Justice

Issue

Issue

Action

Action

Impact

Impact

 

Child protection system reform

In Brief

UNICEF works strategically with partners to promote change in the child protection system from over-reliance on institutions to responsibilities and accountability based on child rights and the child’s best interest. UNICEF brings together stakeholders, creates space for dialogue and interaction among various partners, supports the development of consensus, and advances an agenda for children. By making available up-to-date knowledge, based high-quality research in key child-related areas, UNICEF contributes to the streamlining of the design and implementation of desirable system reforms.

Main results

• Promoted improved quality of care for a decreasing number of children in residential institutions, and the availability of quality alternative family-based care options through the development of new legislation, standards and methodologies.
• Strengthened the knowledge and assisted with capacity building of central and local-level professionals in all sectors and with multi-disciplinary training for the effective implementation of national protective environment policies, and increased the quality of the protection response.

The experience gained and lessons learned from the Romanian child care system reform are already considered a model for designing improved national responses in other countries, such as Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, the former Yugoslav Republic (TFYR) of Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and North Korea.

• find out more