Evidence about the effectiveness of child protection programmes in developing countries: GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report

There is little evidence on the effectiveness of child protection programmes in developing countries. Furthermore, some of the available evidence does not provide information on links between specific practices on the one hand and improved outcomes and impact for children on the other hand. There are, however, some targeted insights into what works and what does not work.

Overall, the effectiveness of child protection programmes seems to be only average and highly variable. One commonly cited finding is the importance of contextualising action: programming, programme implementation and programme assessment need to be tailored to local situations and practices in child protection. It is also important to acknowledge that child protection is political and reflects political choices by governments and donors.

This report first identifies and describes the state of available evidence. It then presents findings on the effectiveness of child protection programmes in developing countries in five selected areas:

• general factors affecting the effectiveness of child protection programmes;
• different types of child protection measures;
• specific settings and contexts;
• specific categories of children;
• cost effectiveness.