Assessment of Save the Children’s ‘Child Sensitive Social Protection’ Approach in South Asia

The Child Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) programme supported by Save the Children Finland in India, Bangladesh and Nepal aims to reduce vulnerability and poverty of children by ensuring that social protection measures lead to meaningful investment in children.

CSSP is based on the understanding that social protection is essential to address child poverty and deprivation stemming from household shock, stress, chronic poverty and insensitivity towards children. Furthermore, CSSP is based on the understanding that many of the vulnerabilities faced by poor children can be curbed by improving access to and delivery of social protection programmes for children and their households, while simultaneously working towards enhanced sensitivity for the needs and rights of children among parents and other adults responsible for the well-being of children.

Save the Children’s CSSP programme and approach in South Asia has been assessed by an independent consultant. The findings are presented in this report, which focuses on the impact the CSSP programme has had on reducing child labour, malnutrition and increasing school enrolment and retention of the most poor and marginalised children in the CSSP programme areas. This document provides evidence for scaling up and replicating the CSSP approach in different geo-political and socio-economic conditions and situations.

Save the Children Finland has also produced two videos that exemplify the CSSP approach:

Strengthening a cash transfer programme for orphans and other vulnerable children,

Healthcare through child sensitive social protection