Peer-reviewed article
Meaningful participation for children in the Dutch child protection system: A critical analysis of relevant provisions in policy documents
Helen Bouma, Mónica López López, Erik J. Knorth, Hans W. E. Grietens ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examines how well children's participation is embedded in Dutch child protection policy under the 2015 Youth Act. Researchers analyzed national legislation and policy documents using a framework based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. While the Dutch system shows commitment to children's participation, the policy documents do not fully address all three dimensions of meaningful participation: informing, hearing, and involving children. Participation also varies inconsistently across different organizations in the child protection system.
Key points
- Children's participation is deeply embedded in the idea of the current Dutch child protection system
- Policy documents do not fully cover the three dimensions of meaningful participation: informing, hearing, and involving
- Children's participation differs among organizations included in the child protection chain
- A clear overall policy concerning children's participation in the Dutch child protection system is lacking
- The framework of meaningful participation presented may provide a basis for other countries' child protection systems
Limitations
This study analyzes policy documents rather than evaluating actual implementation or outcomes for children in practice. It cannot tell us whether or how children's participation actually occurs when policies are put into action.
Abstract
Policymakers are increasingly focusing on the participation of children in the child protection system (CPS). However, research shows that actual practice still needs to be improved. Embedding children's participation in legislation and policy documents is one important prerequisite for achieving meaningful participation in child protection practice. In this study, the participation of children in the Dutch CPS under the new Youth Act 2015 is critically analyzed. National legislation and policy documents were studied using a model of "meaningful participation" based on article 12 of the UNCRC. Results show that the idea of children's participation is deeply embedded in the current Dutch CPS. However, Dutch policy documents do not fully cover the three dimensions of what is considered to be meaningful participation for children: informing, hearing, and involving. Furthermore, children's participation differs among the organizations included in the child protection chain. A clear overall policy concerning the participation of children in the Dutch CPS is lacking. The conclusions of this critical analysis of policy documents and the framework of meaningful participation presented may provide a basis for the embedding of meaningful participation for children in child protection systems of other countries.