ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to present a new understanding of child and youth care education. The competence perspective, adequate for the training of workers in a specific role, is less effective in a diversified and maturing profession. To develop new perspectives that can provide flexibility to perform effectively in a variety of contexts an educational model must be employed. One distinction between a training and an educational model is the opportunity for students to become aware of the assumptions that they maintain about themselves and their world. A transactional perspective is a complementary and necessary component of an educational model in child and youth care, enabling a professional to apply skills and knowledge in a variety of contexts. Child and youth care educators are presented with the task to adjust their curriculum in a manner that facilitates a process of perspective transformation.
