Background

Having a voice in family matters is considered a protective factor from harm, and key to promoting children’s wellbeing. However, since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and specifically Article 12 pertaining to children’s participation, research reveals that children’s voices often remain invisible in child protection and family welfare services.

Objective

While there is renewed interest in hearing children’s voices about their experiences in out-of-home care, there remains little awareness and knowledge of children’s voices in family support services. This article addresses this gap by presenting children’s own meanings and experiences of having a voice, derived from a research collaboration between UnitingCare and Queensland University of Technology .

Participants and setting

17 children aged 6–16 years (8 sibling groups) whose families received family support services (voluntary or ordered) from UnitingCare in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

An interpretative phenomenological approach with activity-based interviews involving art, play and Reflexions cards were used to support children to share their lived experiences.

Findings

Children’s sense-making related to having a voice revealed four connected meanings that poignantly illustrated that not only should children have a say about the supports they receive because they are part of a family, but because they are knowledgeable agents with insights that can improve their and their family’s experiences.

Conclusion

Family support services need a sustained paradigm shift towards protection with participation to incorporate the voices of children as an everyday practice to ensure their wellbeing and safety.

中文翻译：

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为什么有发言权对参与家庭支持服务的儿童很重要

背景

在家庭事务中拥有发言权被认为是免受伤害的保护因素，也是促进儿童福祉的关键。然而，自从《联合国儿童权利公约》（1989 年），特别是关于儿童参与的第 12 条通过后，研究表明，儿童的声音在儿童保护和家庭福利服务中常常被忽视。

客观的

虽然人们重新关注听到儿童关于他们在户外护理中的经历的声音，但对儿童在家庭支持服务中的声音的认识和知识仍然很少。本文通过展示儿童自己的意义和拥有发言权的经历来弥补这一差距，这些经历源自 UnitingCare 和昆士兰科技大学之间的研究合作。

参与者和设置

17 名 6-16 岁的儿童（8 个兄弟姐妹组），其家庭从澳大利亚昆士兰的 UnitingCare 接受家庭支持服务（自愿或订购）。

方法

使用基于活动的访谈的解释性现象学方法，包括艺术、游戏和反思卡，用于支持儿童分享他们的生活经历。

发现

与拥有声音相关的儿童的意义建构揭示了四个相互关联的含义，这些含义深刻地说明了儿童不仅应该因为他们是家庭的一部分而对他们所获得的支持有发言权，而且因为他们是知识渊博的代理人，拥有可以改善他们和他们家人的经历。

结论

家庭支持服务需要向保护参与的持续模式转变，将儿童的声音作为日常做法，以确保他们的福祉和安全。