This Framework is intended to provide guidance to professionals after a decision has been made regarding the return of children – either as unaccompanied or as part of a family unit – to their own country of origin or to another, resettlement country. While consideration of pre-return processes is made, the framework does not explore issues related to the decision-making process involved in the decision to return the child. Such a decision requires specific evaluations and preparations (legal, administrative and social), which should have been undertaken by the host country in consultation with the child and in cooperation with the authorities of the return / third country. Interventions to support successful (re)-integration pre- and post departure are the focus of the Framework. However factors considered in the return decision influence the possibility of a durable solution once the child has been (re)integrated. In practice this means that the quality of the preparations and outcomes of assessments made during the decision making process to return the child will need to be taken into account when developing the (re) integration plan as these factors may significantly impact upon the likelihood of the plan’s success.

The Framework was developed by the partners in the project AIDAH  and builds upon the checklist previously developed in the 2011 report Comparative Study on Practices in the Field of return of Minors by ECRE and Save the Children as well as on the research conducted in the framework of the project "Half-Way Home".