International Parent Advocacy Network

IPAN aims to increase the power of parents impacted by child protective systems. We support parents and organizations that mobilize against excessive surveillance and family separation through state care and adoption. IPAN works to empower parents around the world, so that their voices are heard and their rights protected.

Toolkit for Transformation

This online resource was created for parent advocates
and their allies  wishing to start a parent-led movement for change. The toolkit provides an accessible resource for parent advocates and their allies to learn from the experiences of other parent advocates and programs, and access resources that other organizations and advocates have created.

International Review of Parent Advocacy in Child Welfare

This new report published by IPAN and the Better Care Network includes the first international survey of parent advocacy programs. It outlines opportunities and challenges; lessons learnt across different settings and contexts, and evidence of the benefits of parent advocacy as a key element in child welfare system transformation.

Latest parent advocacy news

Read the latest news about developments in parent advocacy and child protection systems from around the world.

Aftercare for Care Leavers: Learning lessons from across Europe
‘The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to exacerbate these risks, as the pandemic heightens risks of isolation and separation from …
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2020 Annual Meeting on Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
Once upon a time, rampant disease was a problem that the most privileged could ignore, Covid19 has brought home that …
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October 2020: Strengthening Families 101
Center for the Study of Social Policy 08 Oct 2020 This is a free, pre-conference training for people attending the …
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Bottom-up approaches to strengthening child protection systems: Placing children, families, and communities at the center
Michael G. Wessels Abstract Efforts to strengthen national child protection systems have frequently taken a top-down approach of imposing formal, …
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Will Emily be allowed to keep her baby?
After having 9 children taken into care, Emily, aged only 31 years old, is pregnant with her tenth child and …
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Coronavirus updates

Read our latest updates on coronavirus and child protective systems.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children’s social care services (and parents)
The most up-to-date guidance from the UK government on what to expect from child welfare services. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-childrens-social-care-services/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-authorities-on-childrens-social-care …
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Family Separation 2.0: “You aren’t going to separate me from my only child.”
Read the full report on how ‘Administration is weaponizing its public health response to COVID19 to punish and deter people …
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The impact of COVID-19 on Children’s Social Care in England
Mary Baginsky & Jill Manthorpe – Child Abuse & Neglect 16 Sep 2020 Abstract Background As a response to COVID-19 …
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Remote Court Hearings trauma
Remote court hearings putting vulnerable women in traumatic situations ‘which place them at unjust disadvantage’ This article in the Independent …
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PAR Advice to parents of children in care during corona virus
PAR, Parents Advocacy and Rights, has published guidance for parents in Scotland on concerning practices where children’s social work has …
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