• Description

These Guidelines provide a framework for anyone seeking to ensure family care for children. Children outside of family care face significant disadvantages; they may experience developmental impairments and lasting psychological harm, be less likely to attend or do well in school and be cut off from the social networks they need to flourish in adulthood. Global trends associated with child separation, including poverty, conflict and mass migration are separating children in every region, making these Guidelines broadly relevant. Being cut off from life in a family not only violates children's rights, it also weakens society as a whole. If child separation is not addressed effectively, it undermines achievement of national development targets – from education to growth.