Peer-reviewed article
Effective child well-being practices, barriers and priority actions: survey findings from service providers and policymakers in 22 countries during COVID-19
Dimitar Karadzhov, Graham Wilson, Sophie Shields, Erin J. Lux, Jennifer C. Davidson ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 232 service providers and policymakers across 22 countries during COVID-19 to understand how children's well-being was being supported. The pandemic and virus containment measures created major system-level challenges including resource shortages, poor coordination, and governance gaps that made existing inequalities worse. Service providers reported both barriers to supporting children and examples of innovative practices, and identified priorities including expanding service capacity, using technology, building cross-sector partnerships, and involving children in decisions.
Key points
- System-level challenges included virus containment measures, resource deficiencies, inadequate governance and poor stakeholder coordination
- Children's rights to adequate living standards, protection from violence, education, play and being heard were negatively impacted
- Service providers implemented adaptive and innovative practices in humanitarian support, child protection, capacity-building, advocacy, digitalisation, and psychosocial support
- Priority actions identified include increasing service capacity and equity, expanding technology, mobilising cross-sectoral partnerships, involving children in decision-making, and strengthening child protection mechanisms
- Study used a novel smartphone survey app with open-ended questions delivered in-the-moment across low- and middle-income and high-income countries
Limitations
The study relied on self-reported experiences from service providers and policymakers recruited through professional networks, which may introduce selection bias and limit generalisability. As a qualitative survey conducted at a specific point in time (late 2020), it captures a snapshot during the pandemic and may not reflect sustained trends or longer-term impacts on children's well-being.
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore 232 service providers’ and policymakers’ experiences of supporting children’s well-being during the pandemic, across sectors, in 22 countries – including Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, India, Scotland, Sweden, Canada and the USA, in the last quarter of 2020. Design/methodology/approach A smartphone survey delivered via a custom-built app containing mostly open-ended questions was used. Respondents were recruited via professional networks, newsletters and social media. Qualitative content analysis was used. Findings The findings reveal numerous system-level challenges to supporting children’s well-being, particularly virus containment measures, resource deficiencies and inadequate governance and stakeholder coordination. Those challenges compounded preexisting inequalities and poorly affected the quality, effectiveness and reach of services. As a result, children’s rights to an adequate standard of living; protection from violence; education; play; and right to be heard were impinged upon. Concurrently, the findings illustrate a range of adaptive and innovative practices in humanitarian and subsistence support; child protection; capacity-building; advocacy; digitalisation; and psychosocial and educational support. Respondents identified several priority areas – increasing service capacity and equity; expanding technology use; mobilising cross-sectoral partnerships; involving children in decision-making; and ensuring more effective child protection mechanisms. Practical implications This study seeks to inform resilience-enabling policies and practices that foster equity, child and community empowerment and organisational resilience and innovation, particularly in anticipation of future crises. Originality/value Using a novel approach to gather in-the-moment insights remotely, this study offers a unique international and multi-sectoral perspective, particularly from low- and middle-income countries.