Peer-reviewed article
COVID-19 Reminds Us Why We Must Invest More on Family-Based Alternatives for Children
Ankit Kumar Keshri ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This paper argues that COVID-19 and lockdowns are likely to increase the number of children needing care, potentially leading to more institutional placements. The author reviews research showing that institutional care causes long-term harm to children's social, psychological and developmental wellbeing. The paper calls for greater investment in family-based alternatives for children's care and protection, with a focus on the South Asian context.
Key points
- COVID-19 and lockdowns are predicted to increase the number of children requiring care and protection assistance
- Previous research establishes that growing up in institutions causes long-term damages to children's social, psychological and developmental wellbeing
- Family-based alternatives to institutionalization are presented as a necessary priority
- The paper contextualizes these findings specifically for South Asia
Limitations
The document is a position paper or literature review that does not present original data or evaluate a specific intervention. It does not provide quantitative evidence on the scale of the problem or comparative effectiveness of different family-based alternatives.
Abstract
The emergence of COVID-19, followed by the subsequent lockdowns, is the reason why childcare practitioners, across the globe, are predicting an increase in the number of children requiring assistance for their care and protection. To fulfil those needs, increasing institutionalization of children is also expected. However, in the given circumstances, it is essential to bring in the findings of previous researches, establishing the fact that growing up in institutions causes long-term damages to the social, psychological and developmental wellbeing of children. This paper attempts to contextualize these aspects by underscoring the need for family-based alternatives and describing the existing situation of South Asia.