Listen to and engage children and families

This case study reviews Emerging Minds’ use of family participation (that is, the involvement of more than one member from a family, for example a mother and daughter) to advance the practices of co-design and co-delivery. It illustrates the value of family participation, explores the process, and highlights key learnings.

This short article outlines why engaging in meaningful participation with children in out-of-home care is central to supporting their wellbeing and respecting their right to participate.

Participation in out-of-home care (OOHC) emerges from the basic rights of children to influence the decisions that impact their lives. It includes concepts such as listening to children’s voices and children being heard. ‘Meaningful participation’ refers to the involvement of children in ways that genuinely consider and include their views and experiences in decision-making about their lives. Developed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), our latest short article outlines some of the ways practitioners and service providers can support children in OOHC to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect them.