Empowering youth in care: the case of emancipatory research with care leavers

Abstract

New sociology of childhood has emphasized that children are capable of being reflective, of behaving purposively and are able to influence the environment where they live. This concept is also referred to as ‘children as capable agents’ meaning that they can shape the environment. Despite this, children are rarely given the space for participation. The lack of participation is particularly evident within the child protection system, where the tension between children's right to protection and their right to participation becomes even more pronounced. Preventing them from participation is not only a violation of rights but also impacts their capability to exercise social citizenship. This can be particularly detrimental for care leavers who rank among the most socially excluded and disadvantaged groups of young people. This article addresses these issues by presenting the findings of the action-research project CarINg (Empowering Childcare Systems and Supporting Leaving Care from Inside), implemented in Italy and co-funded by the European Union. This research delved into the participation opportunities for care leavers within the care system, with a dual focus on enhancing the local alternative care system and empowering care leavers to actively voice and influence the status quo. Results show how active involvement of care leavers in the protection system and in the production of knowledge can empower them as individuals and enable them to contribute to bringing about change within the alternative care system. Whether all these changes happen depends on the capacity of the institutions to recognize that children are authentic agents and participants of the society.

Keywords

• care leavers
• child protection
• emancipatory research
• Italy