At UNICEF we are convinced that it is possible for all children and adolescents to have an equal opportunity in life to develop their full potential. With a presence in 36 countries and territories in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, we work with governments, communities, academia, think tanks and the private sector to promote, design and implement efficient and effective social policies to reverse the conditions of poverty and inequality that affect children and adolescents.

Social protection is understood as the set of public and private policies and programs aimed at preventing, reducing and eliminating the economic and social vulnerabilities that lead to poverty and deprivation during the course of life. UNICEF's work focuses on the strengthening and/or adaptation of national social protection systems so that they meet the specific needs of children, adolescents, and their families.

We deploy a series of efforts to assist the most deprived population, taking children and adolescents at the center of our actions. These efforts are framed within four key components of social protection: (i) social transfers, (ii) programs to guarantee access to basic services, (iii) social and care support, and (iv) legislative and policy reform to guarantee equity and non-discrimination. In particular, UNICEF seeks to provide assistance to countries in the region through the country offices to advocate and design comprehensive effective interventions for children, prioritizing the most vulnerable population and taking into account the realities of each country.

Likewise, we seek to contribute in generating the conditions so that the countries of the region are prepared to respond to emergencies through multiple mechanisms. Among them, promote measures to make households less vulnerable to disasters, as well as the implementation of assistance programs in the context of emergencies.

Here you can have access to some of our recent work in the region:

Technical Notes on Social Protection as a response to COVID-19 in LAC:

• Edition I: initial assessment and analysis
• Edition II: updated assessment and focus on social assistance
• Edition III: updated assessment and focus on social security and labour markets

Publications / studies:

• Regional – Maternidad y paternidad en el lugar de trabajo en América Latina y el Caribe — políticas para la licencia de maternidad y paternidad y apoyo a la lactancia materna
• Bolivia – Protección de la niñez y adolescencia frente a crisis COVID-19: elementos para la discusión
• Peru - La experiencia de Perú en la aplicación de mecanismos de incentivos
  
  

Rapid assessments to measure the effects of COVID-19 in households with children:

• Argentina – First round / Second round
• Brazil
• Caribbean
• Dominican Republic
• Jamaica
• Mexico – First round / Second round
• Panama
• Trinidad and Tobago
  
  

Effects of COVID-19 on child poverty:

• Global and regional (monetary poverty)
• Argentina

 
Op-Eds:

• El País (regional focus)
• Acento (work in the Dominican Republic)

Webinars:

• Early Childhood and Covid-19: Responses to the Emergency
• Early Childhood Care Services Packages in Latin America
• Private Sector and Early Childhood Investment

Feel free to reach out to our team at:  gescaroz@unicef.org, mrubio@unicef.org