2025 Impact Stories – From Risk to Protection: Strengthening Child Protection Systems Across Four Countries (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Somaliland and Zambia)

This impact story highlights Save the Children’s 2022–2025 programme to strengthen child protection systems in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Somaliland, and Zambia, where children face heightened risks of violence, abuse, and exploitation. Working with governments, civil society, and communities, the programme focused on improving the accessibility, quality, and coordination of child protection services while placing children, families, and local actors at the centre. Over 145,000 children and adults accessed prevention and protection services, service quality improved markedly against minimum standards, and children’s knowledge of where to seek help in cases of violence increased from 28% to 89%. Evidence also showed positive social norm shifts, including reduced acceptance of violence and greater recognition of shared caregiving roles. The impact story demonstrates that long‑term, flexible funding, strong localisation, government engagement, and consistent use of data and community feedback can deliver sustainable improvements in child protection systems.