Changing the Odds for Vulnerable Children

Preface
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
	Risks to well-being
	Children pay a high price for inequality
	Poverty and vulnerability
1 What is child vulnerability and how can it be overcome?
	Introduction
	What is child vulnerability?
		Factors contributing to child vulnerability
			Disability
			Mental health difficulties
			Immigrant background
			Maltreatment
			Out-of-home care
			Material deprivation
			Parents’ health and health behaviours
			Parents’ education level
			Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
			Family Stress
			Schools
			Early childhood care and education (ECEC)
			Primary and secondary education
			Neighbourhoods
		Building resilience to overcome child vulnerability
		Towards child well-being strategies
		Policies that build resilience in vulnerable children
			Empower vulnerable families
			Child protection
			Education
			Health
			Child poverty and material deprivation
	Notes
	References
2 Individual factors that contribute to child vulnerability
	Introduction
	Disability
	Mental health difficulties
	Immigrant background
		Unaccompanied minors
		Maltreatment
	Out-of-home care
	Notes
	References
3 Environmental factors that contribute to child vulnerability
	Introduction
	Family Factors
		Material deprivation
			Homelessness
		Parents’ health and health behaviours
		Parents’ level of education
		Exposure to intimate partner violence
		Family stress
	Community Factors
		Schools
			Early Childhood Care and Education (ECEC)
			Primary and secondary school
		Neighbourhoods
	Notes
	References
4 Building resilience: policies to improve child well-being
	Introduction
	Which policies can empower vulnerable families?
		Provide opportunities for parents to gain parenting skills, knowledge and resources
		Work together with families to reduce specific risks to child well-being
		Invest in communities to support vulnerable families
	Which policies can strengthen children’s emotional and social well-being?
		Enhance the role of schools in promoting good emotional and social well-being
		On top of teacher training, schools can promote emotional and social well-being by providing students with opportunities to develop social and emotional skills. Many countries have already integrated social and emotional skill development into their ...
		Provide timely and accessible early intervention for children with mental health difficulties
		Ensure smooth transitions of young people onto adult mental health services
		Provide opportunities for vulnerable children to build relationships with supportive adults and role models
		Provide vulnerable children with access to extra-circular activities
		Empower children online and build digital resilience
	Which policies can strengthen child protection?
		Make child protection services more child-centred and accessible
		Invest in improving outcomes for children in out-of-home care
	Which policies can improve children’s education outcomes?
		Increase participation of vulnerable children in early childhood education and care
		Improve the quality of early childhood education and care vulnerable children receive
		Adopt measures to reduce inequity in education
		Prevent early school leaving and provide early action for school leavers.
		Support the integration of migrant children in schools
	Which policies can improve children’s health?
		Improve the quality and accessibility of pre-natal care for key groups
		Improve access to parental leave for low-income families and those with children with additional needs
		Ensure access to health care for children from low-income families and with additional health needs
		Ensure access to adequate nutrition for low-income children and pregnant women have access to adequate nutrition
	Which policies can reduce child income poverty?
		Create better quality jobs for working parents and remove barriers to taking up employment
		Ensure social benefits reach the poorest families and those with children with additional needs
	References
5 Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries: special considerations
	Introduction
	Infants and young children (0-5 years old)
		Gaps in progress on reducing infant and child mortality persist within regions
		Early childhood development programmes are not accessible to the poorest children
		The human rights of infants and young children are not always adequately protected, especially in the poorest households
	School-aged children (6-14 years old)
		Violence disrupts the healthy development of children
		Child labour threatens the health and education of children worldwide
		Children from poorer households have less chance of completing their education
		Access to WASH improves health and educational outcomes
	Older adolescents (15-18 years old)
		Basic literacy rates are improving, and functional literacy is more important than ever
		Risky health behaviours among youth can jeopardize long-term health
		Early pregnancy and marriage can hinder the healthy transition of girls and boys into young adulthood
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References