Protective layer: supporting families facing elevated risks.

The third layer addresses families experiencing acute vulnerability, where additional support is required to protect children and sustain family functioning. Child protection systems are central in this regard. Systemic approaches reduce child maltreatment and improve overall wellbeing, while long-term system development enhances sustainability and impact. Locally adapted interventions increase effectiveness by responding to community-specific risks. Multisectoral approaches improve mental health, psychosocial wellbeing, and community safety. Norms- and values-based interventions play a critical role in reducing harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation. These interventions strengthen the capacity of families to provide safe and supportive environments, particularly under conditions of stress or disadvantage. They also offer a key advantage from a macroeconomic point of view: during periods of shocks or crises, automatic fiscal buffers help stabilise the economy through sustained consumption, government expenditure, and private investment, to help reduce major disruptions in the labour market. Thus, policies that support the most vulnerable families during crises should not be seen as a sunk cost but rather as an expense with an important short-term return.