During the period of socialist regimes in CEE/CIS Region, residential institutions were considered the best substitute care solution for children whose parents for one reason or another could not care for them. The transition period that started in the early 1990s opened up for new ideas and a child rights paradigm was introduced with the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Countries started recognizing the importance of children to grow up in a family environment and the need to develop social services that placed the rights of the child at the centre of service provision. Efforts to build and reform child care and protection systems that rely on family and child support services to build parental capacities, prevent abuse and institutionalization and to develop alternative family based care have now started in all the countries.

Today, UNICEF is supporting the reform of child care systems and the development of social services in 22 countries and territories across the CEE/CIS. This resources site is an attempt to facilitate the sharing of knowledge that this work is producing. Through the different options of the menu bar it will facilitate your access to a library with publications and reports produced at regional and country levels over the years. You will be able to find unpublished resource materials, such as expert papers, presentations and background notes from regional and national events on this topic. It will also facilitate your access to standards and tools for reform practitioners. Last but not least you will be able to find updated information on the regional Call to Action to end placing Children under three in institutions. This resource site will be regularly updated.