Children’s Participation in the Decision-Making Process in Child Protection Services in Iceland: The Role of Spokespersons

Abstract There has been growing interest in upholding children’s rights to participate in decisions affecting their lives, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. These emphases have been incorporated into the Icelandic Child Protection Service and are reflected in the legal provision of appointing a spokesperson for children who are deemed unable to participate directly in their own matters. This chapter explores how the spokespersons’ reports in child protection services in Iceland enhance children’s participation in the decision-making process, resulting in the following research questions: How are children’s wishes reflected in the reports? And how do spokespersons’ provisions and work practices support children’s participation? The results indicate that in many cases children’s wishes were not represented and children’s participation was therefore not visible in the process, and that children need more time and should be offered a wider range of ways to express their views and wishes.