It is so often the case that Children can be forgotten when their parents separate, or that they don’t feel heard or understood. Children living in Care also experience this, it can be hard for them to speak out with so many different professionals and other people in their lives, not to mention the continual change that takes place.
Whether going through parental separation or living in care, children have rights set out in the Children Act 1989 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
It is important that children and the adults in their lives know this and ensures that their needs are put first, at all times.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Convention has 54 articles that cover all aspects of a child’s life and set out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights that all children everywhere are entitled to. It also explains how adults and governments must work together to make sure all children can enjoy all their rights.
https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/
The Convention is also the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. All UN member states except for the United States have ratified the Convention. The Convention came into force in the UK in 1992.
https://www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/un-convention-child-rights/
The Rights Idea.
The Rights Idea is a piece of work undertaken by NYAS, The University of Exeter, and NACCC. The Rights idea aims to reach children in classrooms throughout the United Kingdom, to ensure that children know about their rights and how to act upon them. The following infographic has been created alongside a range of other teaching materials.
