Adjust child protection programs in the context of infectious disease outbreaks

This course will equip child protection practitioners with knowledge and skills to implement evidence-based crisis response and prevention strategies to protect children during infectious diseases outbreaks.

Identify the child protection risks caused by infectious disease outbreaks

COVID-19 impacts children through:

Infection with the virus/disease
the impact of social and economic infection prevention measures
the potential longer-term effects on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing

In this course, you will reflect on how infectious diseases outbreaks impact children, families, and communities through disruptions to families, friendships, daily routines, community dynamics, and income.

You will learn about the resulting negative consequences for children’s protection, wellbeing, and development and discover ways to adapt child protection strategies to the disruptions.

Adapt child protection strategies and programming during infectious disease outbreaks

As you explore the social and developmental consequences of infectious disease outbreaks for children, you’ll learn to adjust child protection programming in the context of Infectious Diseases Outbreaks keeping children at the centre. You will also learn about joining up with other sectors to implement strategies for protecting children and strengthening partnerships with governments.

Learn with experts at the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (The Alliance)

The course is designed to help child protection practitioners navigate infectious disease contexts. You will learn via technical notes produced by The Alliance and endorsed globally and how these have been used by colleagues on the ground.

What topics will you cover?

By the end of the course, you will be able to…

Assess the context set through public health measures and elaborate on how these affect protective and risk factors for children in all stages of an Infectious Disease Outbreak
Describe the main child protection risks during an Infectious Disease Outbreak in your context through a socioecological and developmental lens
Explain the centrality of child participation through all stages of the programme cycle and identify ways to foster safe child participation in the context of Infectious Disease Outbreak
Summarize ways to adapt child protection prevention and response programming in line with CPMS principles and standards
Describe how to jointly implement with other sectors to protect children
Identify key actions to support risk-informed programming and contribute to system strengthening in future health shocks and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Assess the context set through public health measures and elaborate on how this affects protective and risk factors for children in preparedness, response, transition and recovery from infectious disease outbreaks.
Describe the main child protection risks during major outbreaks of infectious diseases in your context through a socioecological and developmental lens
Explain the centrality of child participation through all stages of the programme cycle and identify ways to foster safe child participation
Describe how to jointly implement with other sectors to protect children
Identify key actions to support risk informed programming and contribute to system strengthening in future infectious disease outbreaks
Summarise ways to adapt child protection prevention and response programming in line with CPMS principles and standards

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for child protection professionals around the world rising to the challenge of finding creative ways to support the most vulnerable children, families, and communities in the context of public health measures associated with infectious disease outbreaks that span from physical distancing to lockdown measures.

This may include child protection advisors, coordinators, managers, officers, field managers of national and international NGOs, UN agencies, representatives of government institutions, and child and family-focused members of the social service workforce.

Please note that this course is for practitioners with experience in child protection and child and family-focused programming in development and/or humanitarian settings. It is not a comprehensive child protection or child protection in humanitarian action capacity building course.

Who will you learn with?

Achieng Kokonya

My name is Achieng, from Kenya. I am a Child Protection Specialist at the Alliance. I have more than 10 years experience in CPHA and have worked in Africa and Asia, predominantly with a focus on UASC

Claire Whiting

I am a child protection and humanitarian specialist working in the field of child rights, protection and humanitarian coordination in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North and East Africa since 2003

Who developed the course?

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action is a global, interagency group. We set standards and provide technical support to ensure that efforts to protect children from violence and exploitation are of high quality and effective.

Endorsers and supporters

supported by

supported by

US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

supported by

What's included?

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, with funding from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

Unlimited access to this course

Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes

A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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