81.
States should pay special attention to ensuring that children in alternative care because of parental
imprisonment or prolonged hospitalization have the opportunity to maintain contact with their parents and receive
any necessary counselling and support in that regard.
82.
Carers should ensure that children receive adequate amounts of wholesome and nutritious food in accordance
with local dietary habits and relevant dietary standards, as well as with the child’s religious beliefs. Appropriate
nutritional supplementation should also be provided when necessary.
83.
Carers should promote the health of the children for whom they are responsible and make arrangements to
ensure that medical care, counselling and support are made available as required.
84.
Children should have access to formal, non-formal and vocational education in accordance with their rights,
to the maximum extent possible in educational facilities in the local community.
85.
Carers should ensure that the right of every child, including children with disabilities, living with or affected
by HIV/AIDS or having any other special needs, to develop through play and leisure activities is respected and that
opportunities for such activities are created within and outside the care setting. Contacts with the children and others
in the local community should be encouraged and facilitated.
86.
The specific safety, health, nutritional, developmental and other needs of babies and young children,
including those with special needs, should be catered for in all care settings, including ensuring their ongoing
attachment to a specific carer.
87.
Children should be allowed to satisfy the needs of their religious and spiritual life, including by receiving
visits from a qualified representative of their religion, and to freely decide to participate or not in religious services,
religious education or counselling. The child’s own religious background should be respected, and no child should
be encouraged or persuaded to change his/her religion or belief during a care placement.
88.
All adults responsible for children should respect and promote the right to privacy, including appropriate
facilities for hygiene and sanitary needs, respecting gender differences and interaction, and adequate, secure and
accessible storage space for personal possessions.
89.
Carers should understand the importance of their role in developing positive, safe and nurturing relationships
with children, and be able to do so.
90.
Accommodation in all alternative care settings should meet the requirements of health and safety.
91.
States must ensure through their competent authorities that accommodation provided to children in
alternative care, and their supervision in such placements, enable them to be effectively protected against abuse.
Particular attention needs to be paid to the age, maturity and degree of vulnerability of each child in determining
his/her living arrangements. Measures aimed at protecting children in care should be in conformity with the law and
not involve unreasonable constraints on their liberty and conduct in comparison with children of similar age in their
community.
92.
All alternative care settings should provide adequate protection to children from abduction, trafficking, sale
and all other forms of exploitation. Any consequent constraints on their liberty and conduct should be no more than
are strictly necessary to ensure their effective protection from such acts.
93.
All carers should promote and encourage children and young people to develop and exercise informed
choices, taking account of acceptable risks and the child’s age, and according to his/her evolving capacities.
94.
States, agencies and facilities, schools and other community services should take appropriate measures to
ensure that children in alternative care are not stigmatized during or after their placement. This should include
efforts to minimize the identification of the child as being looked after in an alternative care setting.
95.
All disciplinary measures and behaviour management constituting torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment, including closed or solitary confinement or any other forms of physical or psychological violence that are
likely to compromise the physical or mental health of the child, must be strictly prohibited in conformity with
international human rights law. States must take all necessary measures to prevent such practices and ensure that
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