Blog post by
Ann Kristin Larsgaard, Associate Professor in Pedagogy, University of Southeast Norway
Sølvi Lillejord, Professor Emeritus in Pedagogy, University of Bergen
Marit Skivenes, Professor in Political Science, University of Bergen
Introduction
One important reason why the welfare state does not succeed well enough in helping children and youth in difficult life situations is that their right to be consulted and heard is not respected. In recent years, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Aftenposten and other major news outlets, have highlighted several critical issues in the Norwegian child welfare system, revealing serious system failures in the welfare state’s support for children and youth in challenging and demanding life situations. Children in need of help do not receive the assistance they are entitled to. Media and is not alone in exposing these shortcomings; the Office of the Auditor General, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Children’s Ombudsman, and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision have also reported on problematic issues. There are several factors that explain why the welfare state falls short, including complex tasks that require extensive collaboration between services and professions. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to ask whether a significant reason why the welfare state does not adequately support children and youth in difficult life situations is that they are not included and involved. There is a lack of user participation both in shaping policies, laws, and measures, and in the individual child’s encounter with welfare services. In this article, we focus on the first dimension, namely the importance of children and youth being heard and having the opportunity to participate in political-administrative processes.
“There is a lack of user participation both in shaping policies, laws, and measures, and in the individual child’s encounter with welfare services.”
Political rights for children and youth in vulnerable situations
All countries in the world, except the United States, have now ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which grants children political, civil, and social rights on an equal footing with adults. Together with Iceland, Sweden, Mexico, and soon Scotland, Norway has made the Convention on the Rights of the Child national law, which means that the Convention has constitutional status. Despite obligations and good intentions, it seems that we have a systemic problem as children’s rights are not adequately protected in several areas, as recently pointed out in the Norwegian Official Report NOU 2023:7 “Safe Childhood, Secure Future,” NOU 2020:14 “New Child Law for the Best Interests of the Child,” and the Government’s BU21 (Children and Youth 21) – “Out of the Blind Spots – A strategy for a comprehensive knowledge upgrade for vulnerable children and youth”. Children and youth are not systematically involved and heard, neither in municipal welfare services nor in state-level secondary services. For example, the Pupil Survey has shown for several years that students do not experience sufficient participation in schools. Many municipalities and some agencies have youth councils, but they are often composed of “popular” young people and have limited influence. The young people involved do an exceptionally important job, and in addition, we also need to hear from – and give decision-making power to – those who struggle and are users of the services.
“Despite obligations and good intentions, it seems that we have a systemic problem as children’s rights are not adequately protected in several areas.”
Child rights assessments
The Children’s Ombudsman has pointed out that we do not automatically include children and youth in political and administrative decision-making processes as we should. To the extent that they are involved at the systemic level, we know little about their influence and power. How the best interests of the child are assessed in cases involving many children is often unclear.
The Children’s Ombudsman has developed a Child Rights Assessment Guide for use by all those involved in shaping decision-making frameworks in the public sector: ministries, directorates, municipalities, and counties. What needs to be done, when, and how is thus clarified for researchers and decision-makers who are responsible for gathering information from children and using it to inform decision-making processes. It is time that we begin to investigate to what extent this is being followed up and whether it allows for genuine participation from children and young people.
Children also often have little space in the testing and evaluation of measures. Not only do we fail to take children’s rights seriously, but we also lose valuable information when they are not given the opportunity to share their experiences. An illustrative example is the evaluation of the trial process model involving dialogue, a new model for child welfare cases in the county board from 2019. Only a total of eight parents and children contributed with information and shared their experiences. Clearly, this is not sufficient to form a picture of how the system works and is experienced.
“If we truly want to strengthen and improve services for children, we must take children’s own knowledge seriously. This requires listening to them and gathering experiences and advice from many children.”
Knowledge from children
Children’s experiences and advice are a direct source of knowledge for system improvement. Research is important, combined with valuable experiences from the field. But if we truly want to strengthen and improve services for children, we must take children’s own knowledge seriously. This requires listening to them and gathering experiences and advice from many children. Of course, this must be done in a systematic way to ensure that the findings are representative. In Norway, the organization the Change Factory (Forandringsfabrikken) has undoubtedly been very successful in collecting, summarizing, and disseminating knowledge from children and young people who are not easily heard, especially those under 18 years old.
“In Norway, the Change Factory (Forandringsfabrikken) has undoubtedly been very successful in collecting, summarizing, and disseminating knowledge from children and young people who are typically not easily heard, including those under 18 years old.”
In the BarnUnge21 strategy, it is proposed that there should be a mandatory child perspective in certain types of research projects. This may be a requirement that directorates and ministries can demand when they announce funding for research and development projects concerning children and young people in vulnerable life situations.
“The Convention on the Rights of the Child imposes obligations, and it is urgent to establish mechanisms that ensure meaningful participation for children.”
To realize the ambitions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, we must think broadly and encompass a wide range of perspectives. All interest organizations and user organizations working for children’s rights must be invited to contribute. The Convention on the Rights of the Child imposes obligations, and it is urgent to establish mechanisms that ensure meaningful participation for children. We must facilitate Norway’s systematic collection and use of knowledge from children. Additionally, many adults must reflect on themselves, and change their attitudes and practices. Children should be heard; it is their right, and it is evident that their insights are necessary.