Somalia launches Child Protection Information Management System to protect vulnerable children amid COVID-19

Mogadishu, Somalia, 30 August 2021 – The Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), launched today an online Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS+) to enhance the protection of the most vulnerable children in Somalia.

“Today, we’re taking a crucial step towards keeping the extremely vulnerable children – including children living in the streets, child survivors of sexual violence, children in conflict with the law, abandoned babies, and children without primary caregivers – in our country safe. The CPIMS+ will strengthen our collective ability to identify these children, provide them with lifesaving services, and protect them from exploitation and abuse,” said Somalia’s Minister of Women and Human Rights Development, H.E. Hanifa M. Ibrahim.

In Somalia, 1.8 million children are at risk of violence, abuse and neglect due to the ongoing conflict, reoccurring climatic shocks, poverty, and the socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic[1]. Violence prevention and response services remain disrupted and many parents and caregivers are under increasing financial strain and at risk of losing their jobs.

To support the children bearing the biggest brunt and to strengthen the case management services in the country, the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, UNICEF and child protection partners worked together to customize and deploy the new information management system, an important platform for professional social workers to coordinate social, legal, clinical, and psychosocial services for the children in need.

“The adoption of innovative technologies provides a significant opportunity for safeguarding children in Somalia,” said UNICEF Representative in Somalia, Mohamed Ayoya. “The launch of CPMIS+ represents another key milestone in the Government’s efforts to provide accountable and professional social services and it will help to ensure no child, even in the most challenging circumstances, is left behind.”

The CPIMS+ provides intuitive digital forms for child protection workers to assist with documenting case management processes, from identification and registration, to assessment, case planning, referrals and transfers, and case closure.

Its key features will help child protection workers reach children with vital protection and support. These features include:

• Case specific data on individual children stored in a confidential cloud-based system.
• Up-to-date referral information for case workers and partner agencies in the police, clinical, justice, social services sectors.
• Case management tools to manage individual cases and facilitate children’s access to quality social services.
• Improved data protection, information and knowledge sharing to close data gaps within the child protection sector.

More than 30 partners, consisting of UN agencies and local NGOs, have subscribed to the CPIMS+. This translates to 190 users covering an estimated caseload of 25,000 children at risk in Somalia.

[1] Somalia: Humanitarian Response Plan 2021