Gatekeeping and children’s right to participate

Children’s right to participate in decisions that affect them is central to making effective and appropriate decisions about their care.

Effective gatekeeping therefore, is not only important for realising children’s right to adequate care, but also their right to participation (Article 12 of the UNCRC. This involves the development of clear and accessible tools to inform children and young people of their rights in the context of care decisions and the use of mechanisms that allow for their meaningful participation throughout the process, from assessment of needs to review and determination of different care options and placement decisions.

In this video, we hear from two young people who have experienced alternative care telling us why they think participation is important.

We also hear from care practitioners drawn from different countries of the world who, whilst attending an alternative care conference in Geneva, were asked the question: ‘Do you think it is important that children and young people participate in decisions that affect their lives?’