Strengthening an effective Child Protection System to improve the Rights and Well-being of Children Without Appropriate Care - the

Ethiopian case

Ibrahim SesayUNICEF Ethiopia4th Forum on the ACRWCMarch 18, 2011

The structure of this presentation

What is a child protection system?

Why a child protection system approach to improve Rights and Well-being of Children without appropriate care ?

Practical approaches to establishing and strengthening an effective child protection system to improve Rights and Well-being of Children without appropriate care - the Ethiopian Case

Global shift to systems approach

•UNICEF•World Bank•Save the Children (new concept

paper)•U.S. Quadrennial Diplomacy and

Development Review (2011)•Social Welfare Workforce

Strengthening Alliance (2010/2011)•Bilateral aid agencies/foundations

The problem in a nutshell

• Lack of visibility of children in need of protection

• Poor coordination and human resource capacity

• Very limited resources allocated to child protection

• Vertical programming/separate silos▫Street and working children, abused children,

trafficked children on the move, child headed families, child marriage, children in institutions, ICA, abandoned children, displaced children, CCWL, CIE, etc.

•Data management for evidence-based policy and programming

•Legal frameworks, regulations and CP policies and enforcement mechanisms/weak

•Lack of sustainability/aid dependence

•Participation of children and families

The problem in a nutshell

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS

Where are we coming from…..

Projects – focus a collection activities

Focus on categories of children – vertical approached - rescue-charity and thumb-suck criteria

Short term planning – 1-2 year project cycles

Large investment in NGOs, little investment in state structures – poor coordination between actors-fragmented programming

Where are we going…

Programmes – focus on systems building

Focus on all vulnerable children – not just categories – move toward horizontal programming and value based

Long term planning – 5 to 10 year vision

Increased investment in building GOE’s capacity to fulfill their role as duty bearers

What is a child protection system?

A child protection system is a series of components (e.g. laws, policies, regulations, services) organised around the goal of preventing and responding to protection risks

Child protection system is a comprehensive approach to the protection of children from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence and to the fulfillment of children’s rights to protection.

CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM

Systems approach: the benefits

Holistic approach • Links and promotes integration with other

systems Increased visibility of child protection• Within development agenda• As a system in its own right

Improved coordination, performance, efficiency• National/sub-national and community…• Government, partners, civil society/NGOs… Sustainable programmes that are nationally owned

Better use of limited resources

To ensure universal and equitable protection for all children, especially the most vulnerable

To promote and enforce good practice standards in the care and protection of children and give children reliable access to care and protection when needed

Systems approach: the benefits

Some elements of a Child Protection System

Functions Structures Capacities Processes

Governance Ministry/agencies Human Resource Promotion

Financing NGOs Infrastructure Prevention

Rights to care Communities Financial Response

Standards Social Services Follow up care

Legal and policy framework incl. (customary)

Research Data collection and management

Enforcement

CP Systems Mapping Toolkit -Moving Forward

Map what exists Review (assess) the system to see what

needs to be improved Identify priority changes that are needed Determine their costs Build consensus around the most

important changes needed Find the funding needed to implement

change Implement, monitor and evaluate

Improve system organization and coordination, with clearly defined roles, responsibilities and accountabilities; coordination mechanisms across government with civil

society and between sectors at different levels with a framework for reporting and referral CP issues

Improve CP data and information for decision-making; A national child protection data collection system

developed (work in progress) to ensure regular information on both preventive and noteworthy practices

Adequate resource allocation, well coordinated, and efficiently utilized to support child protection –

a sustainable community based continuum of care

Key current Actions and What we Envision in Ethiopia……a CP systems approach.

Develop mechanisms for the training of a skilled and committed social work force • Work in progress to have a defined 8,000 social

work/social welfare work force which addresses population ratio in selected woredas and sub-woreda level

Improve public awareness and engagement to prevent harm to children and respond to CP issues

Alternative care services and responses are effective regulated, including through accreditation of care providers, enforce minimum standards of care

Key current Actions and What we Envision in Ethiopia……a CP systems approach.

Support and strengthen the role of families and communities in the area of (social welfare and) protection of all vulnerable children

Key current Actions and What we Envision in Ethiopia……a CP systems approach.

▫ EVERY CHILD▫ MUST ALWAYS WEAR A SM!

LE

Thank YouThank Youisesay@unicef.org