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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, quality care

Background/Content

The convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes the rights of every child on protection against violence, abuse and exploitation, access to its legal system, and qualified care.
Article 20 of the CRC also indicate that a child temporarily or permanently deprived from his or her family environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State. The State has the primary obligation to ensure that all children are protected and cared. However, placement of children in residential care should be the last option and efforts should be taken to place children in a family situation ensuring support in the best interest of the child.

Ensuring a protective and safe environment in the residential care Government of Suriname has taken different actions such as approval of the legislation on care institutions in 2014 with the focus on standard and guidelines for exploitation of care institutions which was approved in 2017. An inter-departmental taskforce was established by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing for the monitoring of the implementation of the Legislation. Among others, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing has put efforts in setting up a database for childcare institutions with a national registration (although not fully completed) and recently in 2022 an assessment was conducted of the challenges and bottlenecks regarding implementation of the legislation and policies pertaining the childcare institutions.
Children have been placed in residential care institutions for various reasons by parents, guardians, or institutions. To support the Government in its effort to set up a better monitoring system in place, UNICEF with the support of partners, is planning to carry out a mapping of the children in the residential care institutions.

The mapping will also support the Government in the development and implementation of policies in the best interest of the child taking into consideration article 18 of the convention on the rights of the child where States parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents/legal guardian have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child and when a child who can’t be with his or her parents for some reason, the child should be in an environment that feels like home instead.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of the mapping is to have an overview of children in residential care institutions to support policymakers to improve regulations, and policy development for alternative care in the country.

Scope of Work:

Through data collection at all childcare institutions at the national level, the consultant will map the following:

 Geographical distribution and coverage of the residential childcare institutions (national, district and community level). -including GPS location-
 Number and type of beneficiaries of the services (number of children in institutions disaggregated on gender, age number of years in the institutions, and the reasons of placement)
 Based on the data gathering, the consultant is expected to give a scan of a number of children in residential care institutions, intake procedures and formulate key recommendations and way forward regarding alternative and family base care.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Bachelor’s Degree in social sciences or social work, education, humanitarian studies, social and behavioural sciences field, or other related fields.
II. Proven insight into the social welfare sector of Suriname, especially regarding children and care institutions
III. Knowledge regarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child with a special focus on the best interest of the child.
IV. Demonstrated capacity and experience in conducting comprehensive studies related to social issues and experience with undertaking research with children and in the field of childcare
V. At least 3 years experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
VI. Strong organizational, and presentation skills and good ability to write reports clearly and concisely
VII. Knowledge of the equity and gender approaches and their application

• For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

  Please access the complete ToR here:  TOR Mapping Childcare Institutions.pdf

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to including everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.