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Learn about unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children
This course is about the care and protection of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children who are moving across and between countries. This course will provide an understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities these children face. It will inform the improvement of policy, practice and delivery of support services that uphold children’s rights and meet their best interests. The course will provide examples of promising practice. It will stimulate the exchange of ideas and experience between learners around the world and is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
What topics will you cover?
- Why unaccompanied and separated children are on the move, the risks they face and, how best to respond to their circumstances.
- Understanding the importance of offering a range of suitable alternative care options in a country and how this can offer protection to unaccompanied and separated children on the move.
- Illustrating examples of suitable alternative care and support for unaccompanied and separated children being practiced around the world.
- The skills those working with unaccompanied and separated children on the move should have.
- How to fully assess needs and vulnerabilities of unaccompanied and separated children and make decisions that are in their best interests.
- How to build coordination and cooperation between the humanitarian sector and alternative care professionals to improve responses to unaccompanied and separated children
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to…
- Identify specific risks, vulnerabilities and support needs of unaccompanied and separated children on the move and the application of different appropriate responses.
- Apply the content and meaning of relevant international and national legislation and agreements.
- Explore the principles outlined in the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and discover how suitable care can contribute to the protection of children.
- Identify a range of promising practices in relation to suitable alternative care settings that meet the needs, wishes and circumstances of each individual unaccompanied and separated child on the move.
Who is the course for?
The course will be of interest to you if you are a front line professional or a volunteer anywhere in the world working to offer care, protection and other support to unaccompanied and separated children on the move. For example, you might be a social worker, child protection professional, teacher, border official, medical worker, judge, lawyer or care worker. The course will be of significance if you are a policy maker, work for a government or non-governmental organisation or indeed, if you have any concern or responsibility for child protection and alternative care. You will also find this course useful if you are studying the topic of migration or, someone who would like to learn more about children who are travelling alone across and between borders.
How to register
Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children is a Futurelearn Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that is free to join.
You will need to register for a free account with Futurelearn that requires your first and last name, email address and the creation of a password using this link: https://www.futurelearn.com/
Once you have an account with Futurelearn you can sign up for the course at this link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/caring-for-children-moving-alone