Protection
Mainstreaming
Training Module:
Child protection
What is Child Protection?
Introduction to the concept in humanitarian action
Brainstorm
ideas – 5
minutes
plenary
discussion
Child Protection definition
Prevention and Response to
Exploitation, Violence, Abuse
and Neglect (EVAN)
• Note it is a sub-set of Child Rights
Under the Convention of the Rights
of the Child – we don’t look at all
rights but specifically EVAN
Get into groups of 5 people
Group work
10 min
List some of the child protection
concerns you have observed in
the camps and host community
Child Protection in Covid-19 context
Child Protection Risks
were already prevalent in Child Protection Concerns observed in
our context Cox’s Bazar
• Increase Violence against Children
(including notable rise violence in the home
and SGBV)
• Increase Child Marriage
• Increase Child Labour
• Lost and missing children
COVID-19 and
containment measures • Dangers and injuries
have exacerbated these • Increase exposure to trafficking and
Child Protection concerns smuggling
• Psychosocial distress and anxiety
It is therefore of utmost importance that ALL sectors place child protection at center of their programs
Children represent more than 50% of refugee population
Child Protection trends during COVID-19 compared to previous years
Anonymized from CPIMS+
Red line indicates difference between 2019 and 2020
Child Labour Case Trend
Physical Abuse Case Trend
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2019 2020
8
Child Protection trends in COVID-19 continued
anonymized from CPIMS+
Red line indicates data 2019 vs 2020
Emotional or psychological Child Marriage Case Trend
abuse Case Trend
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2019 2020 2019 2020
9
Linkages Child Protection and Health?
Selected Aspects of Health Expectations & linkages with CP
Maternal Child Health Positive Parenting – Good linkages with Ante-and Post Natal
programme
Children in SARI/ITC and Quarantine Child Carer training and CP volunteers
Birth Registration /Notification Birth registration; Data sharing; ensuring equal access
Adolescent Mother Child Protection case management
Sexual and Reproductive Health CP actors to work with adolescent girls
Vaccination/Immunisation CP Safety campaigns
Medical treatment Physical Injury prevention; Children with medical conditions
Identification of CP concerns and Referrals Identification of health concerns and Referrals
Medical Social Work linkages to CP social work CP Social Work linkages with medical social work
Elements of MHPSS Aspects of MHPSS
Who is a child and why
mainstream child protection?
• A child is anyone under the age of 18
• To mainstream child protection means to ensure child protection considerations inform all
aspects of humanitarian action.
• It also minimizes the risks of children being violated by programs designed without proper
consideration for children’s safety or wellbeing.
• Mainstreaming child protection is an essential part of compliance with the ‘do no harm’
principle that applies to all humanitarian action
• Mainstreaming is proactive as most harm is unintentional but child protection
mainstreaming requires dedicated consideration of risks and mitigation of these risks
GROUP WORK – 10 minutes
How could a program put
children at risk unintentionally
1. Get into Groups of 5
persons
2. List ways that Health
Sector could
unintentionally cause
harm to children or place
them at risk
How can we
mainstream
Child
Protection?
Some tools and tips
How to Mainstream Child protection
• Involve children in design, implementation and
monitoring of the project/program
• Ask children so you can identify the risks
through children’s eyes
• Identify risks your program may have on children
• Use a risk matrix and identify all possible
scenarios that children may encounter as well
as how you will mitigate them.
We will do this in group work at the end if time
allows
How to Mainstream Child protection
• Be accountable to children
• Work with CP actors to ensure children understand the
program and how they can provide feedback if
unexpected negative impact
• Are you enhancing protective environment for children
• Write down one way your program enhances
protective environment ( think about parents, friends,
community)
• Our role is not to replace protective environment but to
support it
Group work
15 minutes
Groups Get into groups of 5
Develop a matrix Use a risk matrix and identify all
possible scenarios that children may encounter as well as
Develop how you will mitigate them. Write down one example!
Instructions SYSTEMATICALLY
Write Write down one way your program enhances protective
environment ( think about parents, friends, community)
down
Remember!
• In emergencies, girls and boys face increased risk to
violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. The way in
which humanitarian aid is delivered can further
increase these risks.
• This is usually unintentional so we must ensure that
adequate consultation with children and families is
undertaken at all phases
• Many threats to the safety and wellbeing of children
can be mitigated or even eradicated through timely
and sensitive provision of humanitarian aid across all
sectors.
• Ask CP actors if in doubt – ask PMFP and resource
person for CP!
Mainstreaming Is the responsibility
Child Protection of ALL actors and
mandatory for
humanitarian
response
Why is Child Protection Mainstreaming important?
• Improve quality of other sectors through better planning, coordination and
implementation
• Protect more children through well resourced programs.
• Strengthen protective environment through relevant multi-sectoral approach
• Ensures humanitarian action does not harm children
• Mainstreaming can minimizes the risks of children being harmed by programs
designed without proper consideration for children’s safety or wellbeing.
• Taking into account the perspective of the children and their participation are an
integral part of the mainstreaming ( will talk more about this)
Key characteristics of a Mainstreamed Program
• Identifying and reaching vulnerable subgroups of children
• Promoting children’s holistic wellbeing
• Proactively ensuring program is Doing no harm
• Risks are systematically identified and mitigated
• Resources allocated to ensure child protection mainstreamed
• Incorporating children’s perspective
• Child Protection actors have been consulted
Participation of the child / Why is it important?
▪ More than just listening to what children have to say and making
decision by adults
▪ Involves children all along the whole decision making process
(in design, in decision making and in implementation of programs).
• Creates child-friendly complaints and feedback mechanisms and provide
accurate information about services in easily understood formats –
Accountability!
• Make sure another adult (preferably child protection actor) is present
when consulting children (do not be alone with a child)
Tips
• Link with Child Protection workers and volunteers when designing and
implementing programs
• Understand the context:
• Protection issues, current coping strategies and how your program
interacts with these in relation to children
• Ensure code of conduct is signed and understood by all program staff
• CPSS can support to develop CoC
• Ensure children’s access to impartial assistance, according to need
• Include meaningful participation, accountability & feedback in child friendly
way
• Respond appropriately and effectively to incidents of abuse
• Ensure staff are trained and keep an up-to-date referral contact list
• How do you hear children’s voices?
Questions to • Do you ask children for their input? If they are not already, can they
consider when be?
thinking about • Do you disaggregate data? Girls and boys of different ages and
your own work backgrounds, disabilities, etc.). Why would this be useful? What could
we learn from it?
and what actions
• How might you be able to strengthen child protection systems and
can be taken Are mechanisms? Community based mechanisms? Monitoring and
children involved reporting of violations?
in your sector? • How are your actions reducing violence, neglect, abuse and
exploitation?
• How can children help you to perform better or to obtain better
results?
• How do you measure those CP results?
• Which child protection indicators can you use for your sector?
• What child friendly practices might you consider?
• How can you empower children to be actors of their own protection?
Child Protection
minimum standards in
Humanitarian Action
[Link]
Child Protection and
Health standard 24
The standard: All children
have access to quality
protective health services
that reflect their views,
ages and developmental
needs.
CPMS supports you with
following structure
• Introduction
• The Standard
• Key actions for Child Protection and Health
actors to work together
• Key actions for Child Protection actors
• Key actions for health actors
• Measurement
• Guidance Notes
# and % of healthcare workers in target
location trained on identification of children
affected by abuse, neglect, exploitation or
neglect (80%)
Health % of births per health facility that are
officially registered (100%)
Measurements
# and % of health care facilities in target
location providing child friendly services
Child carers (health staff) were
Examples of identified for all SARI ITC centres
mainstreaming
Child Guidance note was developed
Protection in between Health and CPSS together
Health 2020-
Child Protection volunteers were
2021 assigned to Quarantine centres and
provided training to support children
Can you think of some
examples of how you would
mainstream child protection in
your work in health sector
• Brainstorm for 5 minutes
• 5 minutes plenary
Child Protection Mainstreaming
support
• Read relevant section of Pillar 4 Minimum Standards for Child
Protection in Humanitarian Action 2019
• Ask CPSS for support (or Child Protection resource person through your
Protection Mainstreaming Focal Point)
• Ask children – with support of a child protection actor and with
caregiver or other adult present
• Ensure you have identified the risks and taken steps to mitigate these
risks in your program
• You do not have to be the expert!!! Child Protection support is available
to help you with mainstreaming so please ASK for support!
Child Protection Mainstreaming is necessary but not
sufficient in itself to fully protect children!!!
• Highly technical activities require technical skills (i.e. Case management;
Family Tracing and Reunification; Alternative Care)
• Complex coordination among child protection actors (i.e. separated
children)
• Dealing with highly sensitive cultural issues (GBV, etc.)
• Realizing meaningful participation (i.e. communicating with children)
• Creating and strengthening Community-Based Child Protection
Mechanisms
CPSS is here to help for technical child protection issues!
At camp level contact the Child Protection Focal Point when in doubt!
Referrals
• If your staff or volunteers encounter a child protection concern
• Do not investigate
• Reassure child in child friendly manner
Your Referral person Is CP Camp
Focal Point (CPFP)
OR
Resource person from CPSS
Thank you
Thank you