Abstract

Introduction

The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), signed by Canada in 1991, includes four basic principles (non-discrimination; the best interests of the child, the right to life and development, and participation), and a full list of rights afforded to children. Given the high rates of child poverty, and poor education and health outcomes of children in New Brunswick, the UNCRC can provide guidance on how to better support NB children to reach their full potential. Part of a larger project exploring the perspectives of service providers and educators on child and family services in the schools and community, the objective of the study was to assess the participants’ familiarity and awareness of the children’s rights, and how the rights are considered in their service delivery.

Methodology

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 service providers and educators. The major topics discussed in the interviews were barriers to care, communication, system issues, and children’s rights. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on the interview transcription data.

Results

The analysis found the majority of service providers and educators were familiar with the UNCRC and believe it is important to their work. Commonly discussed rights were: Best Interests of the Child; Respect for Children’s Views; Access to Education; Protection of Privacy; Sharing Thoughts Freely; and, Freedom of Thought and Religion. Many participants felt that regardless of whether the UNCRC was familiar to those in government and other institutions, they were not being actively used to inform policies, programs, or systems.

Conclusion

Federally and provincially, there is a need for more consideration and consistent use of the Rights of Children in program, system, and policy development. This study highlights the urgent need for prioritization and use of the Rights of the Children in decision making across diverse government entities.