Practitioners Families Organisations Researchers Learning login

How to support meaningful participation for children in out-of-home care

Kristel Alla, Joanna Schwarzman and Hilary Miller, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia, February 2025

Resource Summary

This short article outlines some of the ways practitioners can support children in out-of-home care (OOHC) to meaningfully participate in decisions that affect them. This resource is for practitioners and service providers working with children who have experienced OOHC.

Introduction

Participation in out-of-home care (OOHC) emerges from the basic rights of children to influence the decisions that impact their lives. Children’s rights are embedded in state, national and international frameworks and standards (Advocate for Children and Young People [ACYP], 2021; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2019; McDowall, 2018). These documents emphasise the rights of children to be informed about their care, have cultural safety, express their views, and have these views considered in matters that impact them (Commission for Children and Young People [CCYP], 2019; Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency [VACCA], 2009).

Participation includes concepts such as listening to children’s voices and children being heard (Jørgensen, Seim & Njøs, 2024). ‘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. It also involves showing how the participants’ views have influenced these decisions (Vosz et al., 2020).

What is meaningful participation?

Meaningful participation is a form of participation that genuinely considers and includes the participants’ views and experiences in decision-making. Lundy’s model of child participation was developed to help decision-makers implement a rights-based approach to child participation. Lundy’s model is widely used in Australia and overseas. The model includes four essential domains:

  • Space: Children must be given the opportunity to express a view
  • Voice: Children must be facilitated to express their views
  • Audience: The view must be listened to.
  • Influence: The view must be acted upon, as appropriate (Lundy, 2007).

Lundy’s model suggests that meaningful participation requires interaction and an active dialogue with the child (Jørgensen et al., 2024). These elements indicate a sequential process to foster a safe and supportive environment for children to share their opinions and to guarantee that their views are heard and responded to (Lundy, 2007; Jørgensen et al., 2024).

In Australia, the Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) has built on Lundy’s model for use in an OOHC context. The CETC describes five practices that are critical to enable child participation in OOHC:

  • facilitating access to information and understanding
  • creating a supportive space for interaction
  • inviting children to express their views and change their minds
  • listening and acknowledging child views and perspectives
  • showing how children’s views have influenced decisions (Vosz et al., 2020).

Research shows that the inclusion of children and young people in decision-making about their care can be beneficial to children in OOHC, particularly their mental wellbeing and safety (CCYP, 2019; Robertson et al., 2017). Participation is aligned with child-centred and trauma-informed approaches to practice and contributes to building trust between workers and children in OOHC (CETC, 2020; Miller & Alla, 2024).

For more information on children’s rights to participation and the potential benefits of meaningful participation, see Why meaningful participation for children in out-of-home care is essential.

Despite the established legislation and benefits, evidence suggests that children’s rights to meaningful participation are not always upheld in practice (AIHW, 2019; McTavish et al., 2022; Senate Community Affairs References Committee, 2015). Professionals acknowledge that they lack clarity about how to implement meaningful participation (McCafferty & Mercado Garcia, 2023; van Bijleveld et al., 2015). The challenges of high workloads, as well as time and resourcing pressures experienced by the child protection workforce, are well-documented (McPherson et al., 2021). However, there remains a critical need to ensure children’s rights to information, cultural safety and meaningful participation are upheld and respected (ACYP, 2021; Golding et al., 2021; McDowall, 2018; VACCA., 2009).

This article summarises some strategies that can be used by practitioners to facilitate children’s participation in decision-making in OOHC. Some of the strategies presented here can also be applied to working with children in settings outside of OOHC.

How to support children’s meaningful participation in OOHC

‘Young people are the best people to tell you what they need so listen to them and ask us.’

- Care leaver, 25 years old (CREATE Foundation, 2017)

Practitioners working with children in OOHC can enable child participation through their everyday practices. This section provides a framework for thinking about meaningful participation and briefly describes some strategies that practitioners can use to support participation in OOHC. It outlines five domains of meaningful participation that are adapted from Vosz et al. (2020). These strategies and domains, which are listed below, often overlap and support each other. To facilitate meaningful participation, practitioners should:

  • enable access to information and understanding
  • create a supportive space for interaction
  • invite children to express their views and change their minds
  • listen and acknowledge children’s views and perspectives
  • show how children’s views have influenced decisions (Lundy, 2007; Vosz et al., 2020).

This article also draws on existing resources about supporting child participation in OOHC (CCYP, 2021; CREATE Foundation, 2020; SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, 2019; Vosz et al., 2020) and recent evidence reviews (Jørgensen et al., 2024). The resources drawn on for this article were all developed based on evidence gathered from children and young people (including those with OOHC experiences), practitioners and research evidence. Links to these resources can be found in the ‘Related resources’ section at the end of this article.

  • Facilitating children’s access to information and understanding of this information (e.g. about the child’s family, treatment plans, placement, placement changes, leaving care plans) involves creating an environment that supports learning and comprehension. It is also about taking the time to explain things in honest and culturally appropriate ways (Queensland and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak Limited [QATSICPP], 2019).

     

    There are a number of factors for practitioners to consider when supporting children to access information that will allow them to meaningfully take part in decisions that matter to their lives and future. Adapted from Vosz et al. (2020), these factors include:

    • providing access to information and explaining what the information means (e.g. about their family, placement, care plans, leaving care plans, etc.)
    • tailoring messaging to a child’s age and development level
    • being honest about what’s happening (e.g. explaining the reasons for changes to care plans, explaining what can or cannot be done to support the child)
    • being culturally safe and appropriate, which can include active efforts to reflect, understand and support connection to culture and, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, connection to kin and Country
    • inviting a support person to be present in meetings (where relevant)
    • clarifying complaint and feedback mechanisms (e.g. explaining to the child what to do when they have concerns about decisions made about them and who to turn to for further help)
    • taking the time to explain things and slowing down to ensure understanding.

  • Creating a supportive space for interaction with children involves several key elements that foster a positive and nurturing environment. For participation to be genuine and meaningful, there must be a respectful and mutual exchange of information and views (CETC, 2020; Jørgensen, 2024). To help children feel comfortable in expressing their views, practitioners should establish a supportive space where they feel safe to participate (CCYP, 2021; CETC, 2020). Strategies to do this can include:

    • creating a welcoming environment for participation, including the physical, emotional and inclusive space
    • designing the physical space to be inviting, comfortable and child-friendly (e.g. have age-appropriate furniture and decorations, account for varied mobility needs, have snacks and drawing materials)
    • communicating to children that they can be as involved as they want to be and can stop at any time
    • establishing trust and rapport (e.g. being open-minded, caring, warm and aligned with children’s best interests)
    • ensuring emotional safety and accessibility (e.g. supporting children to establish ground rules about how people will treat each other in this space, reinforcing the idea that children have a choice about participation)
    • supporting privacy and control (e.g. allowing the child to have a say about who is involved in the meetings, where they take place and what is discussed)
    • equalising power imbalances (e.g. using power-sharing methods, such as co-design or co-creation, being flexible, asking others to not speak over the child and being willing to compromise)
    • providing mentoring and supporting young people to develop communication and leadership skills.

  • The third element required to support meaningful participation is encouraging the child to express their views on topics that are relevant to them and enabling them to do this in a range of different forums (CREATE Foundation, 2020; Vosz et al., 2020). In the context of OOHC, children should be invited to contribute their views about care, treatment and leaving care plans, give feedback on decisions already made, and make complaints where appropriate (Vosz et al., 2020). Children can also be invited to contribute their views on service design and policies that affect them.

     

    Some of the ways practitioners can encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings include:

    • being approachable and available
    • using child-friendly language
    • ensuring that children with different communication needs can express their views (e.g. using assistive communication devices, support workers or expression through writing or drawing)
    • having respect and empathy for child views and experiences
    • giving children a choice about how to participate (e.g. what format they can use to provide feedback, which issues or topics they would like to participate in, if they would like to participate at all)
    • asking for opinions on topics of interest to the child
    • allowing questions, ambivalence and change of mind
    • using a relational approach that focuses on building strong and secure relationships (e.g. going beyond the purely professional and allowing the child to know the practitioner as a private person; Jørgensen et al., 2024; Tarren-Sweeney, 2021)
    • using trauma-informed principles of practice1
    • using creative techniques of engagement (e.g. play-based and story-based interactions with younger children and a conversational style with older children; CETC, 2020)
    • supporting young people to develop capacity to express themselves (e.g. by taking on diverse roles and leadership related to issues that align with their values and interests).

  • Listening to and acknowledging children’s views, feelings and experiences is a vital aspect of creating strong, trusting relationships (CETC, 2020). In practice, ‘listening to children’s voices’ is a phrase that is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘participation’; however, just ‘listening’ to children does not mean their participation is meaningful.

     

    Listening and acknowledging make up just one of the five domains of meaningful participation listed in this resource. It is important for children to feel heard, that their contribution is valued, and that their views and experiences are genuinely considered in decisions that affect them. Children are more likely to participate in decision-making if they feel safe and that their contribution is respected.

     

    Some key strategies to ensure practitioners are genuinely listening to and acknowledging children’s views, feelings and experiences can include:

    • encouraging open communication
    • giving your full attention
    • active listening
    • recognising any past negative experiences of participation
    • asking open-ended questions to invite input
    • taking children’s views seriously
    • being honest about what can be influenced by a child’s decision or views
    • recognising children’s emotional responses, providing feedback and debriefing (e.g. take the time for feedback and to discuss any changes occurring in children’s lives, recognise their emotions, efforts and their positive traits or actions)
    • using positive body language to show interest
    • encouraging problem solving by allowing children to offer their own solutions to problems or challenges.

  • Young people have a right to not only be included in decisions that affect them but also to be shown how their views have influenced decision-making. As outlined above, listening to children is not enough in itself to enable participation. Children’s views must genuinely be considered alongside other factors and perspectives, including practitioners’ professional expertise and judgement (Jørgensen et al., 2024).

     

    To enable meaningful participation, practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that children understand how their views, feelings and experiences have been incorporated into planning or decision-making. Some key strategies to do this include:

    • acting on commitments and plans in a timely way (e.g. being accountable for decisions that have been made, following up to show you remember what was decided, agreeing on a timeline for providing updates to the child about decisions and actions and sticking to it)
    • explaining decisions that professionals have made that are not aligned with a child’s views or preferences (e.g. explaining clearly and respectfully why a decision was made) and letting them know how they can make a complaint.

Conclusions

Working to support meaningful participation aligns with child-centred practice and can promote positive outcomes for children in OOHC. However, children and young people in OOHC are often not included in important decisions that directly impact them, despite their rights to participation being embedded in professional frameworks, standards and legislation.

Professionals working with children in OOHC can support children’s meaningful participation in decision-making about their lives by facilitating children’s access to information about themselves, creating a safe space for interaction, inviting children to express their views, genuinely listening to children’s views and acknowledging their validity, and showing how their views have influenced decisions.

1. ‘A trauma-informed approach involves understanding the impact that trauma and adverse events can have on children’s developmental and mental health outcomes (trauma-awareness) and an approach which establishes trust and supportive environments with children through a strengths-based focus on resilience and recovery.’ (Miller & Alla, 2022)

Related resources

Further reading

 

References

Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP). (2021). The voices of children and young people in out-of-home care. Office of the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Government.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2019). The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: Overview of indicator results from the second national survey 2018.

Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP). (2019). In our own words: Systemic inquiry into the lived experience of children and young people in the Victorian out-of-home care system. Victorian Government.

Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP). (2021). Empowerment and participation. A guide for organisations working with children and young people. Victorian Government.

CREATE Foundation. (2017). Talking with young people about the national framework: Outcomes of conversations with young people about the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children.

CREATE Foundation. (2020). Best practices guide: Children and young people as decision-makers: Encouraging participation in out-of-home care.

Curtis, E., Jones, R., Tipene-Leach, D., Walker, C., Loring, B., Paine, S.-J., & Reid, P. (2019). Why cultural safety rather than cultural competency is required to achieve health equity: A literature review and recommended definition. International Journal for Equity in Health, 18(1), 174. DOI: 10.1186/s12939-019-1082-3.

Golding, F., Lewis, A., McKemmish, S., Rolan, G., & Thorpe, K. (2021). Rights in records: A Charter of Lifelong Rights in Childhood Recordkeeping in Out-of-Home Care for Australian and Indigenous Australian children and care leavers. The International Journal of Human Rights, 25(9), 1625–1657. DOI: 10.1080/13642987.2020.1859484.

Jørgensen, T., Seim, S., & Njøs, B. M. (2024). How children and young people understand and experience individual participation in social services for children and young people: A synthesis of qualitative studies. European Journal of Social Work, 27(3), 546–559. DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2023.2256490.

Lundy, L. (2007). ‘Voice’ is not enough: Conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal, 33(6), 927–942. DOI: 10.1080/01411920701657033.

McCafferty, P., & Mercado Garcia, E. (2023). Children’s participation in child welfare: A systematic review of systematic reviews. The British Journal of Social Work, 54(3), 1092–1108. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad167.

McDowall, J. (2018). Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards. CREATE Foundation.

McPherson, L., Vosz, M., Gatwiri, K., Parmenter, N., Macnamara, N., Mitchell, J., & Tucci, J. (2021). What does research tell us about young people’s participation in decision making in residential care? A systematic scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, 122(105899), 1–11. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105899.

McTavish, J. R., McKee, C., & MacMillan, H. L. (2022). Foster children’s perspectives on participation in child welfare processes: PLoS One, 17(10), e0275784. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275784.

Miller, H., & Alla, K. (2024). Practice principles for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children in out-of-home care. Emerging Minds & Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP). (2022). Solid voices of tomorrow: A resource guide for community controlled organisations working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

Robertson, C., Laing, K., Butler, M., & Soliman, R. (2017). The views of NSW children and young people in out-of-home care. NSW results from the National Out-of-Home Care and NSW Residential Care Surveys. Department of Communities and Justice (formerly Department of Family and Community Services), NSW Government.

Senate Community Affairs References Committee. (2015). Inquiry report: Out of home care. Australian Government.

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children. (2019). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle: A guide to support implementation.

Tarren-Sweeney, M. (2021). A narrative review of mental and relational health interventions for children in family-based out-of-home care. Journal of Family Therapy, 43(3), 376–391. DOI: 10.1111/1467-6427.12341.

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA). (2009). Child’s voice: Our children have the right to be heard. VACCA and Australian Catholic University.

van Bijleveld, G. G., Dedding, C. W. M., & Bunders-Aelen, J. F. G. (2015). Children’s and young people’s participation within child welfare and child protection services: A state-of-the-art review. Child & Family Social Work, 20(2), 129–138. DOI: 10.1111/cfs.12082.

Vosz, M., McPherson, L., Parmenter, N., & Gatwiri, K. (2020). Enabling young people’s participation in residential care decision-making. Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC).

Discover more resources

Subscribe to our newsletters