1. Child Protection in the Wider
Black Sea Region
Strengthening the Child Protection Index
SCOTT COUCH
MASTER’S IN DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
SPRING 2015
2. ChildPact & World Vision
ChildPact
Consortium of National Child
Protection NGOs
Strong collaboration with World Vision
Mission
Child advocacy
Policy
Capacity building
Mutual post-communist history in the
Black Sea region
3. ChildPact Priorities
DI – deinstitutionalization
Children with disabilities
Children left alone
Child labor
Top and bottom right photographs curtesy of Mariana
Arnautu (CP Program Manager, WVR)
4. The Child Protection Index (CPI)
Purpose: gauge level of action by government
Child Protection Index
Objectives
Collaboration
Improve Data
Transparency
Needs
Assessments
Evidence-based
policy &
interventions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GKw36womQE#t=84
5. Nearly 500 indicators housed
in 3 primary compartments
Scored on 0-1 scale
Yes = 1; No = 0, Partial = .5
Score closer to 1 = stronger
performance on child
protection indicators
Expert opinion used to assess
indicators lacking data
6. General
Indicators
Compartment Indicator Examples:
Has there been a comprehensive review of
all legislation in the State, to ensure
compatibility with the Convention?
(UNCRC)
Does the State have a parliamentary body
on child protection which has a clearly
defined mandate and meets regularly?
11 indicators
Guided by the 4th Article of
the UNCRC
Calls for ratifying states
to adopt and implement
all rights guaranteed by
the Convention
7. Outcome/Output
Indicators
Compartment Indicator Examples:
Rate of children separated from their
families (per 100,000 pop. age 0-17)
Rate of children in residential care (per
100,000 pop. Age 0-17)
Total child protection expenditure as % of
GDP
16 Indicators
Quantitative child protection
indicators
8. Main Indicators
Compartment
Indicator Examples:
Policy
Does the legal framework define and assign authorities
competent to decide the best interests of the child?
(Article 9)
Services
Does the state provide social and psychological support
for parents that minimizes the need for alternative care?
(Article 20)
Capacity
Are competent authorities adequately funded to
perform their responsibilities? (Article 32)
Accountability
Did the state commission or sponsor any national
research studies or surveys on children with disabilities
during the last 5 years? (Article 23)
Coordination
Do social services coordinate with police, juvenile justice,
health and education in situations addressing children
who are victims of sexual exploitation? (Article 34)
462 Indicators
Sub-compartmentalized by
UNCRC Articles
Further disaggregated
into indicator themes
within the UNCRC Article
compartments
9. Strengthening the CPI
Objective was to understand the lived experience of children with disabilities
and their family’s struggle or ability to thrive in a system lacking basic services
and within a society still struggling to support and promote the best interests of
persons with disabilities
Focused on indicators within Article 23 (Children with disabilities)
Lowest raw score of all Articles assessed – meaning it has the poorest showing for
government action
Looked only at indicators which had partial scores
Looked specifically at indicators within the following themes
Services
Capacity
Coordination
11. General
Themes
Too much focus/energy on policy
development
Focus on barriers to access
Common Themes
Need of behavioral therapy
Importance of self-education amongst
parents
Importance of social capital
Discrimination against children in the
protection system (foster care, institutions)
