Understanding and Developing Children’s Participation: A Short Guide

Participation is a term used to refer to the involvement of children and young people in decisions that affect them. The case for children’s participation has been growing in recent years due to a greater emphasis on the rights of children as human beings, citizens and consumers. Fostering children’s participation is considered central to good practice in working with children. While children’s right to participate is enshrined in law, (through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Ireland in 1992) children’s right to participate is often ignored and overlooked in our society. Planning and action are required to translate the theory into practice. This booklet is designed to explain children’s participation and show how children’s services can introduce and develop participatory approaches with children in their work.

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