The Development of a Community‐Led Child Protection Approach in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries

ABSTRACT Child protection actors, including community members, work to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and the exploitation of children. Child protection approaches implemented by nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and other agencies are often located in communities but are not led by those communities. This limits contextual relevance and sustainability. A community‐led child protection approach was developed ( Seeds ). This paper describes the iterative process of its development, including (1) a systematic review of the literature, (2) formative work in Uganda and Lebanon, (3) a field test in Sri Lanka and (4) a feasibility study in Colombia, with a review by technical experts. This process resulted in the identification of a six‐phase community‐led approach aiming to (i) enhance the protection of children and (ii) increase children's sense of protection. The paper explores four themes that emerged from reflections on the development and testing of Seeds . First, it delves into the relevance of community ownership. Second, Seeds has relevance beyond a narrow professional definition of child protection and could be a generic approach with relevance to other sectors. Third, community‐led processes could be seen as an important part of the localisation agenda. Fourth, there is a need to continue learning about community‐led action in humanitarian contexts.