The research from Oxford’s Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI) and UNICEF, concludes official policy responses aimed at children and families tended to be short-term, reactive, and focused more around protecting adults rather than protecting children. In the first nine to 10 months of the pandemic, some 30% of high-income countries studied created no new policies specifically aimed at supporting children. ‘Children cannot speak for themselves and face ongoing needs to help them recover from the pandemic and to ensure that future policies better protect them. The pandemic remains hugely relevant today – it can teach us many lessons about our priorities and how they need to change. The ‘Child Policy During COVID-19 Database’ was part-funded by the UNICEF Innocenti - Global Office of Research and Foresight, and Oxford’s Department of Social Policy and Intervention.
