Integrated Child Protection & Education in Emergencies for Displaced & Conflict-Affected Children & Families

Implementing Partners

Terre des hommes – Switzerland (Tdh)

Youth Development Resources Center – Hebron (YDRC)

Project Duration

2025 – 2026

Geographical Coverage

West Bank and Gaza Strip

Project Overview

This project is implemented within the framework of the strategic partnership between the Youth Development Resources Center – Hebron (YDRC) and Terre des hommes – Switzerland (Tdh). It responds to the escalating humanitarian impact of conflict and forced displacement on children and families in Palestine.

Amid increasing protection risks, psychosocial distress, weakened community protection systems, and disruptions to education, the project delivers an integrated response that combines child protection, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), and education in emergencies. The approach is community-based, dignity-centered, and designed to strengthen resilience and local response capacities.

The project is implemented in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip through a network of local partners, ensuring context-sensitive interventions and national-level coordination.

Overall Objective

Vulnerable children and families affected by conflict in Gaza and the West Bank are protected from violence, abuse, and exploitation, and have safe, equitable access to psychosocial support and learning opportunities, delivered through a strengthened, community-led response system that can adapt to ongoing and future emergencies.

Progect Outcomes 

• Outcome 1: Children, youth, caregivers, and communities in the West Bank and Gaza have reduced negative impacts of immediate and imminent protection risks.
• Outcome 2: School-aged children in Gaza have been supported to reintegrate into education and have experienced improved wellbeing.
• Outcome 3: Community-based organisations, NGOs, and key community actors in the West Bank and Gaza have strengthened their capacities to deliver high-quality, context-responsive protection services and to sustain locally owned emergency response mechanisms.

Target Groups

• Children aged 6–14
• Parents and caregivers
• Adolescents and youth
• Persons with disabilities
• Families and individuals exposed to heightened protection risks

Key Intervention Areas

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
• Psychological First Aid (PFA)
• Case Management and Child Protection
• Positive Parenting
• Community Awareness and Prevention
• Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening
• Education in Emergencies (project-wide component)

Main Project Activities

1. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)

• Unstructured psychosocial support activities (play, art, movement, creative expression, emotional release) benefiting 2,400 children.
• Structured psychosocial support groups using Terre des hommes methodologies (Resilience Rangers and Thriving Teens), targeting 450 children, focusing on emotional regulation, resilience, and positive social interaction.

2. Psychological First Aid (PFA)

• Provision of timely and compassionate psychological first aid to children and caregivers affected by traumatic events, delivered by trained staff.
• Reaching over 1,000 beneficiaries, with referral of cases requiring specialized support to case management services.

3. Case Management and Protection Services

• Identification of children and families at heightened protection risk.
• Individual case management and follow-up.
• Referral to specialized services, including mental health, protection, social, and assistance services.
• Coordination with national child protection and gender-based violence (GBV) referral pathways.

4. Positive Parenting for Caregivers

• Delivery of structured positive parenting sessions for 360 caregivers, focusing on:
• Positive communication with children
• Stress management during crises
• Non-violent parenting practices
• Child protection in emergency contexts

5. Community Awareness and Outreach

• Awareness sessions addressing:
• Child protection risks
• Gender-based violence (GBV)
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
• Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

Reaching more than 2,300 community members.

6. Community-Based Protection Committees

Establishment and capacity building of six community-based protection committees composed of youth and community members.

Supporting community-level monitoring, early identification, referral of protection concerns, and prevention activities.

7. Capacity Building

Training and coaching of staff and partners on:

• MHPSS methodologies
• Case management systems
• Child safeguarding and PSEA policies
• Disability inclusion
• Monitoring, evaluation, and quality assurance

YDRC’s Role and Implementation Locations

The Youth Development Resources Center – Hebron (YDRC) is responsible for implementing project components in six locations in the West Bank, focusing on psychosocial support, community awareness, and capacity building, as follows:

• Hebron – Yatta: Nirsan Cultural Center
• Hebron – Dura: Sawaed Shabab Al-Ghad Forum
• Bethlehem: Student Forum Organization
• Tulkarem: Shweika Sports Club Association
• Nablus: Jabal Al-Nar Club
• Jenin: Jenin Sports Club

Project activities in the Gaza Strip are implemented by other local partners under the technical leadership and supervision of Terre des hommes, ensuring an integrated and coordinated national response.

Partners

• Terre des hommes – Switzerland (Tdh)
• Youth Development Resources Center – Hebron (YDRC)
• Local partner organizations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip

Expected Impact

• Improved mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of children and caregivers.
• Reduced exposure of children to violence, neglect, and exploitation.
• Increased community awareness of child rights and protection mechanisms.
• Strengthened local institutions and community-based protection systems.
• Safer, more dignified environments for children and other vulnerable groups.