Child Participation

Children have the right to participate in matters affecting their lives and should be enabled to give their opinions, and to have those opinions taken into account. Through participation, children learn self-expression, empowerment and ultimately greater self-esteem. Children are a diverse group and therefore children of different ages, abilities, backgrounds, races, and both genders should ideally be included in a consultation process.

The views or wishes of children should never be assumed or overlooked, and such a process will ultimately help to formulate interventions which are more responsive. Whether investigating abuse, assessing a child’s needs, undertaking permanency planning, or evaluating standards of care, children’s opinions must form an integral part of the decision making process. The appointment of an independent guardian is a safeguard to ensure that the child has a voice and that his or her rights are protected.

The process of encouraging participation requires skill in communicating with children. Children should not be told what to say, intimidated, or judged. An environment of safety and respect is necessary to help the child feel comfortable to express her opinions, and therefore care should be taken regarding who else is present, the physical environment, and the way information is sought.

Children should be given a choice regarding participation, and where possible, parents and caretakers should be fully aware of the consultation process. Confidentiality of information is paramount and children should not be put in danger as a result of expressing their views. It is the responsibility of all professionals involved in the care of children to ensure that the process of participation is safe and that children will have support available where follow-up is necessary.

This section includes guidance on the process for consulting children, and example participation projects.

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Children’s Participation in Decision Making From Child Welfare Workers’ Perspectives: A Systematic Review

Karmen Toros - Research on Social Work Practice, 11 Jan 2021

This article explores child welfare workers’ experiences of children’s participation in decision making in the child protection system.

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Faites en Sorte Que Notre Parole Compte: Réponses d’enfants et de jeunes à une enquête mondiale en vue de la Journée de débat général sur les droits de l’enfant et la protection de remplacement 2021 - Résumé adapté aux enfants et aux jeunes

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development, 2021

Ce résumé adapté aux enfants et aux jeunes accompagne le rapport "

Faites en Sorte Que Notre Parole Compte

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development, 2021

Réponses d’enfants et de jeunes à une enquête mondiale en vue de la Journée de débat général sur les droits de l’enfant et la protection de remplacement 2021

Hagan valer nuestras voces - Respuestas de las niñas, niños, adolescentes y jóvenes a la encuesta mundial para el Día de Debate General de 2021 sobre los derechos del niño y el cuidado alternativo - Resumen adaptado para niñas, niños, adolescentes

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development 2021, 2021

Este resumen para niños y jóvenes acompaña al informe "Hagamos que nuestras voces cuenten: las respuestas de los niños y los jóvenes a una encuesta mundial para el Día de debate general de 2021 sobre los derechos del niño y los cuidados alternativos".

Hagan Valer Nuestras Voces

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development, 2021

Respuestas de niñas, niños, adolescentes y jóvenes a una encuesta mundial para el Día de Debate General 2021 sobre los Derechos del Niño y el Cuidado Alternativo

Make Our Voices Count: Children and young peoples’ responses to a global survey for the Day of General Discussion 2021 on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development , 2021

This report was commissioned by a group of civil society organizations (CSOs) in an effort to get a broad sense of what children and young people themselves think about their experiences in alternative care.

Make Our Voices Count: Children and young peoples’ responses to a global survey for the Day of General Discussion 2021 on Children’s Rights and Alternative Care - Child and Youth-Friendly Summary

Kate Butler, Ph.D, Vanessa Currie, MA, Katie Reid, MA and Laura Wright, Ph.D. - International Institute for Child Rights and Development, 2021

This child and youth friendly summary accompanies the report "Make Our Voices Count: Children and Young People's Responses to a Global Survey for the 2021 Day of General Discussion on Children's Rights and Alternative Care".

What does research tell us about young people’s participation in decision making in residential care? A systematic scoping review

Lynne McPherson, Meaghan Vosz, Kathomi Gatwiri, Natalie Parmenter, Noel Macnamara, Janise Mitchell, Joe Tucci - Children and Youth Services Review, 29 Dec 2020

This article reports on a systematic scoping review which investigated research publications on participation in making life-impacting decisions by young people.

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Community-based participatory research with at-risk youth: lessons learned from a Photovoice project in Taiwan

Victor Hsiao, Sunya Chen, Mellissa Withers - Journal of Health and Caring Sciences, 18 Dec 2020

Thirteen youth from a group home in Taiwan for teenage boys in the foster care and juvenile justice systems participated in this yearlong study which utilized a strengths-based approach to examine resiliency, their needs, and sources of support. This article describes nine key lessons learned to keep at-risk youth at the center of future similar research studies through protecting, representing, and empowering them.

Three conversation practices illuminating how children’s views and wishes are explored in care proceedings: An analysis of 22 children’s spokespersons’ accounts

MarieHatlelid Føleide - Children and Youth Services Review, 01 Dec 2020

This study consists of interviews with 22 children’s spokespersons in Norway. Study findings question whether children in care proceedings understand the invitation to voice their wishes as confined to matters relating to the proceedings.

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