title: Applying community-based participatory research to better understand and improve kinship care practices: insights from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
abstract: While the principles behind community-based participatory research are firmly established, the process of taking community-based participatory research with children and youth to scale and integrating it into the programming of non-governmental organizations has been scarcely documented. This article reflects on the experiences of Save the Children in implementing a multicountry community-based participatory research program to increase understanding of kinship care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The article discusses challenges faced and lessons learned and highlights how the research process enabled action and advocacy initiatives at different levels-leading to an increase in support and policy attention for children living in kinship care.
authors.affiliation: Save the Children International, Abuja, Nigeria (Ms Chukwudozie); Child Protection Initiative, Save the Children International, Nairobi, Kenya (Ms Feinstein); SAFE Project, Child Protection Department, Save the Children International, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (Ms Jensen); Save the Children International, Freetown, Sierra Leone (Ms Pina); Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Dr Skovdal); and Department of Programme Policy and Quality, Save the Children UK, London, United Kingdom (Dr Skovdal and Ms Smith). Ms O'Kane is an independent consultant, France.
authors.forename: Oge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Chukwudozie
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feinstein
authors.forename: Celina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: OʼKane
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skovdal
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002651:Child Advocacy; D002669:Child Welfare; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D011640:Public Policy; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012107:Research Design; D012807:Sierra Leone