Putting Children and Young People at the Heart of Care Reform is an introductory manual aimed at practitioners. The manual provides a comprehensive overview of how to meaningfully engage children and young people in care reform. It covers the legal and theoretic framework, the basics in how to engage with children and young people, how to be inclusive and practical ways to engage children and young people in monitoring and evaluation. It also has an extensive chapter on how children and young people can and should be involved throughout care reform, from making decisions about their own care, right up to engaging in global policy decisions. It will challenge readers to increase participation in their own work and equip them with tools to do so in a safe and meaningful way.
The manual was co-produced by the child and youth participation team at Lumos, and self-advocates. It draws on practical examples of participation in Changing the Way We CareSM, a global initiative implemented by Catholic Relief Services, Maestral International, and other global, national and local partners working together to change the way we care for children around the world.