Policy Priority Area 5: Strengthening of national child protection systems and community mechanisms
Objective: Enforcing of child protection systems in the EAC region
5.1. Develop a regional framework for assessing the status of Child Protection Systems in the Partner States
- Develop a regional mapping and assessment toolkit
- Carry out a Mapping study to assess the child protection systems (formal and informal) in the region (or aggregate existing country level mappings) and the existing gaps in terms of workforce, service delivery and community protection mechanisms, as well as gaps in national coverage and possible marginalized group
- Develop an EAC Regional Matrix of Child Protection Indicators
5.2. Promote the development and implementation of family strengthening and protection policies in Partner States
- Harmonise and align with international standards the laws, policies and programmes in Partner States that affect child welfare and promote family support
- Develop a Regional White Paper and Policy Framework For strengthening Families
5.3. Support the promotion of role of parents as the primary care givers in the Partner States
Ensure Partner States develop National Family policies with coherent parenting and ECD programming guidance
5.4. Establish alternative family-based care systems and expansion of kinship, foster care and other family reintegration services
Develop integrated framework on alternative care aligned with the UN Guidelines on Alternative Care which also address emergency situations and displaced and refugee children without parental care.
5.5. Strengthen community and national mechanisms for child protection
- Carry a mapping assessment of existing Community based child protection mechanisms (CBCPMS), including those in refugee camps and settlements
- Link the CBCPMS to the national child protection systems.
- Develop a comprehensive regional MIS (reporting research, evaluation and data management database).
5.6. Ensure convergence of national development plans and programmes aimed at the preventing, responding and progressive elimination of all forms of Child Rights violations
Develop a framework of Partnerships with the United Nations Bodies Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Mechanisms, sub regional, regional, national mechanisms, Civil society organisations and Children on elimination of Child Rights violations.
Progress in the implementation of Priority Area Five:
- The EAC has adopted a Framework for Strengthening Child Protection Systems and Community Mechanisms in the East African Community. The framework lays out a comprehensive agenda for harmonising of standards and approaches on promotion and protection of child rights across the EAC Partner States. It also provides practical guidance on addressing child protection more holistically, by giving greater focus on prevention and strengthening the critical roles of the key sectors and stakeholders. The Framework also helps Partner States to conduct self-monitoring and review for continuous strengthening of their national child protection systems through set of standardised indicators.
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The EAC Secretariat with support from the African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) and Save the Children has so far conducted learning workshops in all Partner States; and in a bid to domesticate the framework into National Programming, Partner States have identified country-specific priorities and developed an action plan to fast track the implementation of the framework.