Article 20

Article 20 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child concerns the protection and assistance provided to children who can not be looked after by their own family:

"1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State.

2. States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child.

3. Such care could include, inter alia, foster placement, kafalah of Islamic law, adoption or if necessary placement in suitable institutions for the care of children. When considering solutions, due regard shall be paid to the desirability of continuity in a child's upbringing and to the child's ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background."

Children in Wales work relating to this Article

Information about the work carried out by Children in Wales in relation to this Article is available in the Looked After Children Section of this site.

Other Information about how this Article is implemented in Wales

Policy

The Policy Section of this site contains information about consultations, other documents and legislation relating to looked after children. This information can be accessed from the policy page by selecting Looked After Children from the menu on the right hand side and browsing through the different types of policy information.

An introduction to policy relating to Children First programme in Wales is also available in the Policy Section.