Child participation in Estonian and Finnish child welfare removals: Professionals' perceptions and practices

Virve Toivonen; Jatta Muhonen; Laura Kalliomaa-Puha; Katre Luhamaa; Judit Strömpl

doi:10.1163/15718182-29030009

Child participation in Estonian and Finnish child welfare removals: Professionals' perceptions and practices

Virve Toivonen, Jatta Muhonen, Laura Kalliomaa-Puha, Katre Luhamaa, Judit Strömpl

Welfare Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A child's right to participate is one of the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc). It is an integral part of a child's right to have his/her best interest taken into account as a primary consideration. Therefore, it is indispensable in the decision-making connected with child welfare removals, the effects of which on the child's life are long lasting and profound. In this article we examine the perceptions and practices of child-welfare professionals in the context of children's rights, especially participation rights, in two neighbouring countries: Finland and Estonia. The findings are based on a survey and suggest that in the context of children's rights, legislation also has its role in making children's rights a reality, both as a prerequisite for reform as well as in shaping attitudes. However, legal regulation is not enough - full realisation also reguires more information, education and resources.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	701-730
Number of pages	30
Journal	International Journal of Children's Rights
Volume	29
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-29030009
Publication status	Published - 2021
Publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

idea (Improving Decisions through Empowerment and Advocacy; Building Children’s Rights Capacity in Child Protection Systems) was a project funded by the European Commission aiming to improve the decision-making in child welfare by a joint training programme for child welfare professionals. See further: https://ideachildrights.ucc.ie/ . Also see the EU’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship ( rec ) – programme: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/programmes-2014–2020/rec/index_en.htm .

Keywords

Best interests of the child
Care orders
Child welfare
Children's rights
Convention on the rights of the Child
Participation

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Political Science and International Relations

Access to Document

10.1163/15718182-29030009

Cite this

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title = "Child participation in Estonian and Finnish child welfare removals: Professionals' perceptions and practices",

abstract = "A child's right to participate is one of the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc). It is an integral part of a child's right to have his/her best interest taken into account as a primary consideration. Therefore, it is indispensable in the decision-making connected with child welfare removals, the effects of which on the child's life are long lasting and profound. In this article we examine the perceptions and practices of child-welfare professionals in the context of children's rights, especially participation rights, in two neighbouring countries: Finland and Estonia. The findings are based on a survey and suggest that in the context of children's rights, legislation also has its role in making children's rights a reality, both as a prerequisite for reform as well as in shaping attitudes. However, legal regulation is not enough - full realisation also reguires more information, education and resources.",

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AU - Luhamaa, Katre

AU - Strömpl, Judit

N1 - Funding Information: idea (Improving Decisions through Empowerment and Advocacy; Building Children’s Rights Capacity in Child Protection Systems) was a project funded by the European Commission aiming to improve the decision-making in child welfare by a joint training programme for child welfare professionals. See further: https://ideachildrights.ucc.ie/ . Also see the EU’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship ( rec ) – programme: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/grants1/programmes-2014–2020/rec/index_en.htm . Publisher Copyright: © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2021

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - A child's right to participate is one of the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc). It is an integral part of a child's right to have his/her best interest taken into account as a primary consideration. Therefore, it is indispensable in the decision-making connected with child welfare removals, the effects of which on the child's life are long lasting and profound. In this article we examine the perceptions and practices of child-welfare professionals in the context of children's rights, especially participation rights, in two neighbouring countries: Finland and Estonia. The findings are based on a survey and suggest that in the context of children's rights, legislation also has its role in making children's rights a reality, both as a prerequisite for reform as well as in shaping attitudes. However, legal regulation is not enough - full realisation also reguires more information, education and resources.

AB - A child's right to participate is one of the general principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc). It is an integral part of a child's right to have his/her best interest taken into account as a primary consideration. Therefore, it is indispensable in the decision-making connected with child welfare removals, the effects of which on the child's life are long lasting and profound. In this article we examine the perceptions and practices of child-welfare professionals in the context of children's rights, especially participation rights, in two neighbouring countries: Finland and Estonia. The findings are based on a survey and suggest that in the context of children's rights, legislation also has its role in making children's rights a reality, both as a prerequisite for reform as well as in shaping attitudes. However, legal regulation is not enough - full realisation also reguires more information, education and resources.

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IS - 3

ER -

Child participation in Estonian and Finnish child welfare removals: Professionals' perceptions and practices

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Publication forum classification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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