DISCUSSION PAPER 01/2020 Scaling up Child Protection: A Framework for the Future Vol. 1: Laying a Foundation for Going to Scale i UNICEF CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMME DIVISION ii Acknowledgements UNICEF (New York) has commissioned and overseen preparation of this Discussion Paper on Scaling Up Child Protection: A Framework for the Future. The Discussion Paper was prepared by Philip Goldman, Mari Hickmann and Francesca Stuer of Maestral International. The team extends its sincere appreciation to Sumaira Chowdhury, Ramya Subrahmanian, Aniruddha Kulkarni, Aaron Greenberg, Brendan Ross and Rocio Aznar Daban of UNICEF for their oversight, advice and counsel during the preparation of the paper. The team would also like to thank the key informants for sharing their experience, guidance and insights, which proved invaluable to paper preparation. They include the following UNICEF representatives and the countries they were stationed in at the time of the interview: Cornelius Williams (NYC), Stephen Blight (NYC), Astrid Dionisio (Indonesia), Johanna Eriksson (Lebanon), James Gray (Turkey), Luis Gorjon (Pakistan), Hennie Kama (Papua New Guinea), Milen Kidane (Nigeria), Maria Lily (Nicaragua), Patricia Lim Ah Ken (Rwanda), Dani Koleva (Bulgaria), Micaela Pasini (Pakistan) and Stephanie Shanler (Tanzania). Key informant quotations that are cited in the text are at times paraphrased. Joanna Ison (Maestral International) provided extensive support during the preparation process. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNICEF. All material in this Discussion Paper is the sole responsibility of the authors. Cover graphic courtesy of Presenter Media. iii Table of Contents ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................................. V KEY DEFINITIONS .................................................................................................................................... VI I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 8 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 8 III. OBJECTIVE AND CONTEXT ....................................................................................................... 10 IV. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 10 V. SCALING UP: DEFINITION ......................................................................................................... 11 VI. SCALING UP: CONTEXT .............................................................................................................. 12 A. CHILD PROTECTION IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE .................................................................................................. 12 B. THE EMERGENCE OF CHILD PROTECTION ON THE GLOBAL AGENDA ........................................................................... 15 C. WHY IS CHILD PROTECTION NOW GAINING GROUND GLOBALLY? ............................................................................. 17 VII. CHILD PROTECTION: ADDRESSING SCALING UP CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES ....................................................................................................................................... 22 A. COVID-19 AND CHILD PROTECTION ................................................................................................................... 22 B. FRAMING AND ADVOCATING FOR A CHILD PROTECTION ‘SYSTEM’ ............................................................................ 25 C. EXPLAINING AND CONCEPTUALIZING CHILD PROTECTION ....................................................................................... 26 D. THE CONTINUUM OF CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES ............................................................................................... 29 E. SCALING WHAT WORKS (AND AVOIDING WHAT DOES NOT) .................................................................................... 34 F. POLITICAL WILL AND FINDING SCALING LEADERS .................................................................................................. 36 G. ADDRESSING SOCIAL NORMS ........................................................................................................................... 38 H. COMMUNICATION FOR CHILD PROTECTION SCALING ............................................................................................. 39 I. INFORMATION AND DATA MANAGEMENT........................................................................................................... 44 J. CHALLENGES WITH UNICEF’S BUSINESS MODEL .................................................................................................... 46 K. RESOURCES FOR CHILD PROTECTION SCALING ...................................................................................................... 46 L. SCALING IN FRAGILE, HUMANITARIAN AND EMERGENCY CONTEXTS .......................................................................... 49 VIII. SCALING UP CHILD PROTECTION: THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK .......................... 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................... I iv Acronyms AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ECARO Europe and Central Asia Regional Office ESARO East and Southern Africa Regional Office FGM/C Female genital mutilation and cutting GDP Gross domestic product HIV Human immunodeficiency virus HQ Headquarters LMICs Lower middle-income countries MSI Management Systems International PSS Psychosocial support SDGs Sustainable Development Goals UN United Nations UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VAC Violence against children WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene v Key definitions1 Alternative Care A formal or informal arrangement whereby a child is looked after at least overnight outside the parental home, either by decision of a judicial or administrative authority or duly accredited body, or at the initiative of the child, his/her parent(s) or primary caregivers, or spontaneously by a care provider in the absence of parents Case Management The process of ensuring that an identified child has their needs for care, protection and support met. This is usually the responsibility of an allocated social worker who meets with the child, the family, any other caregivers, and professionals involved with the child in order to assess, plan, deliver or refer the child and/or family for services, and monitor and review progress Child and Youth Children and young people influencing issues affecting their lives, by Participation speaking out or taking action in partnership with adults Child Protection Ensuring that every girl and boy is protected from violence and exploitation, in both humanitarian and development contexts [UNICEF] Child Protection Certain formal and informal structures, functions and capacities that have System been assembled to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children [UNICEF] Gender-Based Violence An umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will, and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between males and females. Examples include: sexual violence, including sexual exploitation/abuse and forced prostitution, domestic violence, trafficking and forced/early marriage Neglect Deliberately, or through carelessness or negligence, failing to provide for, or secure for the child, their rights to physical safety and development (e.g., abandonment, the failure to properly supervise and protect children from harm as much as is feasible, the deliberate failure to carry out important aspects of care which results or is likely to result in harm to the child, the deliberate failure to provide medical care or carelessly exposing a child to harm) Physical Abuse Physical abuse involves the use of violent physical force so as to cause actual or likely physical injury or suffering (e.g., hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, female genital mutilation, torture) Safeguarding The values and procedures to be upheld by those working with children and young people in order to protect them from all forms of abuse, exploitation and violence 1 Unless otherwise noted, these terms are drawn from the Better Care Network’s ‘Glossary of Key Terms’. See https://bettercarenetwork.org/toolkit/glossary-of-key-terms. vi Scaling Up The process whereby governments, agencies and organizations expand, adapt and sustain successful policies, programmes and services in geographic space and over time to strengthen the effectiveness and impact of the child protection system [Source: this paper] Social Protection A wide range of activities undertaken by societies to alleviate hardship and respond to the risks that poor and vulnerable people face and to provide minimum standards of well-being. This includes services and financial transfers Social Services Services provided by public or private organizations aimed at addressing the needs and problems of the most vulnerable populations, including those stemming from violence, family breakdown, homelessness,