Numerous children and young people could be spared from the painful experience of separation from their parents and caregivers if families were provided with adequate support at the time of life changing events, difficulty, and crises. Families often become vulnerable due to a complex interplay of risk factors, which result from both direct and indirect impacts of their social, cultural, economic, and physical environments. They face mounting pressures from climate change, conflicts, poverty, and the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, among other issues. These challenges can be intensified for families with limited social connections and inadequate access to support services, which can lead to children's exposure to neglect, abuse, violence, alternative care placements, or homelessness. 

Strengthening families entails identifying and delivering effective support to children, parents, and extended family members within the framework of child protection and the prevention of separation. Interventions can vary from universal primary prevention strategies to targeted tertiary support for families at high risk of separation, including assistance for reintegration. These initiatives aim to prevent harm, reduce social isolation, and ultimately prevent children from being separated from their families.

Highlights

During two half-days, the conference will bring together state and non-state actors, researchers, policy and decision makers, and practitioners to share new insights and learnings on causes of child-family separation and effective systems and interventions that support parents, caregivers and extended families in providing adequate care for their children and prevent separation.

Join like-minded professionals from the fields of family support, child and youth welfare and protection, and social welfare as well as persons using family strengthening services for an inspiring exchange and contribute to stepping up efforts to protect children. Highlights include:

Research findings: Gain insight into factors contributing to child-family separation and prevention measures from recent extensive research behind the forthcoming “Global Report on Children’s Care and Protection 2024”.  

Policy recommendations: Learn from representatives from government, INGOs, multi-lateral organizations, and a young expert about effective systems, policies, and interventions to strengthen families and prevent child-parent separation. ​​

Promising practices: Engage with practitioners and persons using services who will share learnings and experiences with successful interventions and policy measures to strengthen parents, care givers, families, and community responses.

The main conference language is English with simultaneous translation into Russian and Arabic.

Please keep an eye on this page, which will be continuously updated with more information, agenda details, and speaker announcements.