Child participation in decisions that directly affect them is a fundamental component of a rights-based child protection system, going beyond a merely declarative dimension and assuming an essential role in shaping social policies and services.
The Advisory Board of Children (ABC) represents a specific mechanism for exercising this right at the local level, providing a structured framework for consultation, development of proposals, monitoring, and engagement in decision-making processes. Through these structures, authorities and service providers can better understand children’s real needs and tailor interventions more relevantly and effectively. The establishment and expansion of ABCs align with the recommendations issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in its Concluding Observations on the fourth and fifth periodic reports of the Republic of Moldova (Geneva, 2017), which encourage the nationwide development of child participation models.
This practical guide is recommended for specialists within the Territorial Social Assistance Structures, ABC coordinators, and other professionals involved in promoting child participation. The document provides methodological guidance, practical tools, and recommendations tailored to the national context, aimed at supporting the establishment, functioning, and consolidation of ABCs in conditions of safety, efficiency, and equity.
Structured around the key stages of creating and developing an ABC, the guide covers the training of professionals, the selection of child members, the organization of participatory activities, children’s involvement in the monitoring and evaluation of social services, and the integration of their contributions into decision-making processes. The annexes include reporting templates and working tools designed to facilitate the practical application of the guide’s recommendations.
The development of this guide reflects a long-standing process of institutional collaboration and practical learning, built on 15 years of experience in piloting and developing Advisory Boards of Children at the local level, initiated and consistently supported by the organization Partnerships for Every Child, in partnership with the national and local public authorities and other key stakeholders in the field of child protection. By promoting a coherent and replicable approach, the guide can serve as a model of good practice for expanding meaningful, safe, and effective child participation within the social protection system at national and regional levels.
This guide was developed within the UNICEF project “Better Care Program,” implemented by the NGO “Partnerships for Every Child,” in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP) with the financial support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The content of this guide is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of UNICEF, MLSP, or Sida.
This guide is currently available in Romanian.
