Background:
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that when decisions are made that affect children under the age of 18 who are struggling or living in vulnerable life situations, groups of these children have the right to express their views and have those views taken seriously in the decision-making process. This rarely happens in the way the Convention intends. Yet these children are the ones who must live with the consequences of adults’ decisions.
Why is this right so often overlooked? These are some of the explanations we have frequently heard from experts and public officials:
- Articles 3 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child should be interpreted differently for children in vulnerable life situations. Because they have experienced hard things, they need protection, and participating may place an additional burden on them.
- Speaking about their experiences may be difficult and could even retraumatise them.
- If these children are invited to share their views, they will focus only on their immediate needs because they are unable to see the bigger picture.
What ChangeFactory does:
For more than ten years, ChangeFactory has carried out projects and development initiatives to ensure that the views of groups of children living in vulnerable life situations are heard and taken seriously in decision-making. These are children who receive support from health services, schools, child welfare services, or who come into contact with the police or the justice system.
What ChangeFactory is doing now
- Working with Norwegian municipalities to identify and share good examples of children contributing to decision-making.
- Inspiring initiatives in the Netherlands, where children and young people up to the age of 18 provide advice to the police.
- Identifying examples from Europe and beyond where groups of children and young people who are struggling or living in vulnerable situations are able to share their views. Examples are presented at Children in Decision-making.



