Children and Young People in Care's Collective Participation in Decision-making Structures

Objective:While Article 12 of the UNCRC and national legislation in Ireland upholds the right of children to have a say in matters affecting them,research has highlighted that children’s participation in child protection and... [ view full abstract ]

Objective:

While Article 12 of the UNCRC and national legislation in Ireland upholds the right of children to have a say in matters affecting them,research has highlighted that children’s participation in child protection and welfare practice is an area in need of improvement. Much of the focus for research and practice to date has been on individual participation, with less emphasis on the collective participation of children in the child welfare system. To address this gap, this paper presents emerging findings from research into a recently established initiative to facilitate the participation of children in care in collective decision making processes in Ireland.

Methodology:

The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway are currently working on a research and evaluation study of Tusla’s (The Child and Family Agency) Development and Mainstreaming Programme for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support. The goal of the programme is to transform child and family services nationally.  This paper specifically focuses on the Tusla / EPIC fora established throughout Ireland to facilitate children in care to have an influence on policy and practice.

The findings are based on a thematic analysis of in-depth focus groups involving approximately 50 young people taking part in six collective fora in various parts of Ireland.   One-to-one interviews were also conducted with Tusla and EPIC staff associated with the initiative.   

Findings & Conclusion: The paper will focus on the rationale and process underpinning the initiative and consider the degree to which the process has been effective in facilitating the genuine participation of young people in matters which affect them.   Specifically, the analysis will assess the initiative in terms of Lundy’s (2007) model, which focuses on the Space, Voice, Audience and Influence dimensions of Article 12 of the UNCRC.