ABSTRACT
To what extent are children recognized as citizens and as active members of the community who can be included within, rather than excluded from, the communitarian agenda of the recent government? (James & James, 2001, p. 214)
Many governments around the world are seeking to gather children’s perspectives and through this gain insights into how to organise, manage and design community resources (see Gallagher, 2004). For example, in Ireland two major studies were undertaken to document and pay attention to the perspective of young children and youth in policy, planning and reform. A follow-up study was also undertaken by the National Children’s Office, the Children’s Rights Alliance and the National Youth Council of Ireland (2005) to gain insights into how to create, plan and invite children’s participation in the development of policy participation and consultation. In one of the projects children were invited to be members of a Development Committee which sought to design the use of space in a family support building in order to create a child-friendly environment.
