ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the ways in which children’s rights to participation have penetrated into the arena of child protection, one of the most fateful situations imaginable in the lives of children. Relying on the Israeli experience, it presents the distinct liberal and communitarian paradigms, which form the basis for completely different applications of the right of children to participation. Implementation of the right to participation within the framework of the liberal paradigm is exemplified by the planning, treatment, and assessment committees (PTACs). The application of the right to participation within the communitarian framework is exemplified by the family group conference (FGC) model. Three main differences emerge between the two paradigms, relating to the level of participation of stakeholders (how they are able to participate and affect the outcomes), the breadth of participation (who is invited to participate), and the threshold for participation (the existence of a gatekeeping mechanism for those with an interest in the process). The chapter concludes with some thoughts on how a communitarian approach provides a more meaningful implementation of children’s participation rights.
