One of the most protective environments for a child is a safe and loving family. In line with the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children, Save the Children works to promote family based care and support parents and caregivers to adequatly care for their children.
Interim Care is defined as care arranged for a child on a temporary basis up to 12 weeks. The placement may be formal of informal with relatives, foster carers or in residential care such as an Interim Care Centre. The children who may require care in an ICC include unaccompanied children, a lost child or a child that is in imminent danger such as risk of violence, abuse or exploitation. This is especially visible in situations that children can be found while on the move.
This document outlines some potentitial child safeguarding risks of ICCs and suggests how to manage them to ensure children are as safe as possible.