guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions,facilities and services for the care of children. 3.States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that children of working parents have the right to benefit from child-care services and facilities for which they are eligible. Article 19 1.States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative,administrative,social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence,injury or abuse,neglect or negligent treatment,maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse,while in the care of parent(s),legal guardian(s)or any other person who has the care of the child. 2.Such protective measures should,as appropriate,include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child,as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification,reporting,referral,investigation,treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore,and,as appropriate,for judicial involvement. Article 20 1.A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment,or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment,shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State. 2.States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child. 3.Such care could include,inter alia,foster placement,kafalah of Islamic law, adoption or if necessary placement in suitable institutions for the care of children.When considering solutions,due regard shall be paid to the desirability of continuity in a child's upbringing and to the child's ethnic,religious,cultural and linguistic background. Article 21 States Parties that recognize and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration and they shall: (a)Ensure that the adoption of a child is authorized only by competent authorities who determine,in accordance with applicable law and procedures and on the basis of8 guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for the care of children. 3. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that children of working parents have the right to benefit from child-care services and facilities for which they are eligible. Article 19 1. States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child. 2. Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement. Article 20 1. A child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment, or in whose own best interests cannot be allowed to remain in that environment, shall be entitled to special protection and assistance provided by the State. 2. States Parties shall in accordance with their national laws ensure alternative care for such a child. 3. Such care could include, inter alia, foster placement, kafalah of Islamic law, adoption or if necessary placement in suitable institutions for the care of children. When considering solutions, due regard shall be paid to the desirability of continuity in a child's upbringing and to the child's ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic background. Article 21 States Parties that recognize and/or permit the system of adoption shall ensure that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration and they shall: (a) Ensure that the adoption of a child is authorized only by competent authorities who determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures and on the basis of