Barns rätt till delaktighet vid beslutsprocesser inom den sociala barnavården. Vad betyder barnkonventionen och den rättsliga utformningen för tillämpningen i praktiken?

Children’s right to participation in decision-making within the Swedish Child Protection System. What does the UNConvention on the Rights of the Child and the legal framework mean in relation to the implementation in practice? This article is based on children’s right to participation which stems from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – the Child Convention. Regarding decision-making processes within the Child Protection System children’s right to participation is explicitly stated. However, it is still not palpable and the interpretations regarding children’s right to participation may vary. This may give rise to various standpoints which in turn can have an impact on the magnitude of how the right isput into practice. Social science and social law research in Sweden has pointed out that children and young people do not participate sufficiently in parts of this process. This article describes and analyzes what has emerged in this research regarding children’s right to participation in connection with decision-making processes concerning out-of-home-placement with a particular focus on some of the circumstances that may impede the children’s right to participation. The article concerns how the right to participation is handled in practice and the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the framework of the legal regulation.