Definition of the target group and international human rights obligations

• Author: Nordenmark Severinsson, Anna; Lerch, Véronique
• Pages: 7-14

Target Group Discussion Paper Children in Alternative Care

7

Definition of the Target Group and international human

rights obligations

2.1 Definition

In line with the United Nations (UN) Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children

(hereafter referred to as the UN Guidelines), ‘children i n institutions’ are children who, for

various reasons, are deprived of parental care and for whom an alternative care placement

in residential care institutions has been found. In various MS, alternative care placements

for children without parental care can be pro vided in di fferent environments, such as

informal or fo rmal kinship care (with relatives or friend s), foster car e, independent l iving

arrangements (often for older children) or in residential care. Residential care can be

provided in a family-like environment or in so-called institu tions (FSCG, 2018).

Residential care/institutional care can also be provided in boarding school facilities3, in

shelters for homeless children, or in hospital settings, i n the absence of alternatives (this

is most often the case for very young children, such as newborns who are

relinquished/abandoned di rectly after birth and for whom more p ermanent care is being

sought) (FSCG, 2018).

Figure 1: Different types of alternative care

This figure only indicates some types of care and is not comprehensive. Many forms

of alternative care can be developed to care for the individual needs of children.

Figure 1 provides details on the diff erent types of alternative care t hat are often available

in MS, and which need to be further diversified in order for children deprived of pa rental

care not to be placed in institutional care. Social workers provi ding case-management

services need to h ave a range of options to cho ose from, in order to refer chi ldren to the

form of care best suited for each case.

Large-scale institutional care with an institutional culture should never be used.

International child rights standards, such as the aforementioned UN Guidelines and the

Common European Guidelines for the Transition from Institutional Care to Community -

based Care, call for the progressive elimination of institutional care for children and the

development of a range of alternative care options (European Expert Group on the

Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (2012).

3 Care in a boarding school would be considered institutional care if the child is placed on a permanent basis

and has lost contact with their family and community.

Informal kinship

care

ひType of care

'provided by

relatives or other

caregivers close

to the family and

known to the

child'

Formal family-

based care

ひFormal kinship

care

ひFoster care

ひSupported

independent

living

Residential care

ひSmall group

homes in family-

like style

ひLarger residential

care facilities,

orphanages,

institutions

(many names)

ひBoarding school

facilities