Because We Care: Programming Guidance for Children Deprived of Parental Care

World Vision prioritises the well-being of the world’s most vulnerable children (World Vision International’s Integrated Focus). Children without parental care have been deprived of the protection and guidance normally given by their parents as primary caregivers and duty-bearers, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. These children may be found living on the streets, struggling to care for their siblings, trafficked and exploited for sex or labour, or languishing in large, impersonal institutions. World Vision’s commitment to the most vulnerable children requires significant investment in determining appropriate responses to these difficult situations. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to prompt discussion and discernment regarding best practices for models of care for children deprived of parental care (CDOPC). The paper assumes a preference for community and family-based care models over institutional models and seeks to analyse various models that can offer a conducive environment for the holistic development of children. It sets forward general recommendations for consideration by World Vision and other relevant agencies, which are explained and expanded upon in the two main sections of the paper: (1) general alternative care principles, and (2) analysis of alternative care models.