What have we learned about reforms in child protection? Vesna Bosnjak

 Good practices in reordering child protection services  Good practices in regulating change processes  Overcoming specific constraints to deinstitutionalization  Campaigning for change in institutional culture and staff attitudes  Making change understandable to everybody  Wider system reforms  Good practices in reordering child protection services  Good practices in regulating change processes  Overcoming specific constraints to deinstitutionalization  Campaigning for change in institutional culture and staff attitudes  Making change understandable to everybody  Wider system reforms What we have learned about reforms in child protection:

Good practices in reordering child protection services  Institutions providing new services for their present service users and for their potential (future) service users  Statutory services (commissions, guardianship and social service departments, courts) overcoming duplications, adopting individual case management and gate keeping  Institutions providing new services for their present service users and for their potential (future) service users  Statutory services (commissions, guardianship and social service departments, courts) overcoming duplications, adopting individual case management and gate keeping

Good practices in reordering child protection services - cont.  NGOs accredited, sourced out and financed by the government to provide child protection services  All new services targeted primarily to accommodate children who should be prevented from entering institutions or should be returned either to their families and/or communities  NGOs accredited, sourced out and financed by the government to provide child protection services  All new services targeted primarily to accommodate children who should be prevented from entering institutions or should be returned either to their families and/or communities

Good practices in regulating change processes  Laws and bylaws define the mandate and standards for functioning of variety of services, dismiss the obsolete institutional mandates and practices and reallocate resources  Planning introduced as an obligatory means of system ’ s regulation with the same power as enactment and enforcement of the laws  Laws and bylaws define the mandate and standards for functioning of variety of services, dismiss the obsolete institutional mandates and practices and reallocate resources  Planning introduced as an obligatory means of system ’ s regulation with the same power as enactment and enforcement of the laws

Good practices in regulating change processes - cont.  Plans at national, regional and institutional levels defining quantitative targets over short, medium and long term, corresponding (re)allocation of resources, deadlines and accountabilities  Protocols and other type of guiding instruments for participation of different sectors in provision of complex services (children with disabilities, in conflict with law, child abuse, trafficking etc.)  Plans at national, regional and institutional levels defining quantitative targets over short, medium and long term, corresponding (re)allocation of resources, deadlines and accountabilities  Protocols and other type of guiding instruments for participation of different sectors in provision of complex services (children with disabilities, in conflict with law, child abuse, trafficking etc.)

Deinstitutionalization  Specific areas for deregulation, temporary regulation and enactment of new rules  Legal determinants of the institutional setup and functioning  Financial regulations, sources and flows  Administrative and technical guidelines  Specific areas for deregulation, temporary regulation and enactment of new rules  Legal determinants of the institutional setup and functioning  Financial regulations, sources and flows  Administrative and technical guidelines

Deinstitutionalization - cont.  Decisions on entry in and exit from the institution  Institutional internal regulations (i.e. job descriptions, working methods, etc.)  Staff involvement, their rights, entitlements, interests, etc.  Rules about use of institutional properties and other assets  Decisions on entry in and exit from the institution  Institutional internal regulations (i.e. job descriptions, working methods, etc.)  Staff involvement, their rights, entitlements, interests, etc.  Rules about use of institutional properties and other assets

Making change understandable to everybody  Hypotesis children have to leave the institution which employs 60 staff members  all alternatives for children and staff to be considered  Probable distribution of children:  15 children return to family of origin  35 children – foster or kinship care  30 children – small group homes (up to 5 children)  15 children (18 years of age) after-care through grants and individual coaching  Available resources = institutional budget  Hypotesis children have to leave the institution which employs 60 staff members  all alternatives for children and staff to be considered  Probable distribution of children:  15 children return to family of origin  35 children – foster or kinship care  30 children – small group homes (up to 5 children)  15 children (18 years of age) after-care through grants and individual coaching  Available resources = institutional budget

Hypotesis - continuation...  Staff = 50 staff to be deployed in:  Day care and family outreach services (50 children now in families, plus 30 new service users, 30 staff)  Small group homes (8 staff)  Support to foster and/or kinship families (1 staff)  Support to children in after-care (2 staff)  Management and administration (7 staff)  Laying off the already retired but working staff members and retirement or early retirement for 12 staff  Staff = 50 staff to be deployed in:  Day care and family outreach services (50 children now in families, plus 30 new service users, 30 staff)  Small group homes (8 staff)  Support to foster and/or kinship families (1 staff)  Support to children in after-care (2 staff)  Management and administration (7 staff)  Laying off the already retired but working staff members and retirement or early retirement for 12 staff

 The value of institutional infrastructure is often higher then the needed resources for the infrastructure for day care and small group homes  Additional costs for the system are “ transitional ” - i.e. planning, trainning and capacity-building team over a period of one year  In the long run, the State would spend on 100 of the above profile of children less then if present trends continue  The value of institutional infrastructure is often higher then the needed resources for the infrastructure for day care and small group homes  Additional costs for the system are “ transitional ” - i.e. planning, trainning and capacity-building team over a period of one year  In the long run, the State would spend on 100 of the above profile of children less then if present trends continue

Wider system reform  Incorporation of child and women ’ s rights standards in legislation, standards for services and professional codes of conduct  Introduction of intergovernmental financial transfers for basic services from central level to municipalities with low level of revenues  Balancing universal and targeted poverty reduction assistance in favour of the poorest children and families  Incorporation of child and women ’ s rights standards in legislation, standards for services and professional codes of conduct  Introduction of intergovernmental financial transfers for basic services from central level to municipalities with low level of revenues  Balancing universal and targeted poverty reduction assistance in favour of the poorest children and families

Wider system reform - cont.  Make children at risk (disabled, parentless, in substitute family arrangements, etc.) beneficiaries of a larger part of general cash assistance schemes and government - introduced safety nets  Inclusive health and education policies, etc.  Make children at risk (disabled, parentless, in substitute family arrangements, etc.) beneficiaries of a larger part of general cash assistance schemes and government - introduced safety nets  Inclusive health and education policies, etc.