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Children as decision makers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

David Vicary ,
Judy Tennant ,
Jade Santa Maria  and
Sarah Wadley
David Vicary
Affiliation:
Office for Children and Youth, Curtin University of Technology, Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families, University of Western Australia
Judy Tennant
Affiliation:
Office for Children and Youth West Perth. WA6005. Email: Judy.Tennant@dcd.wa.gov.au
Jade Santa Maria
Affiliation:
Office for Children and Youth West Perth. WA6005. Email: Judy.Tennant@dcd.wa.gov.au
Sarah Wadley
Affiliation:
Office for Children and Youth West Perth. WA6005. Email: Judy.Tennant@dcd.wa.gov.au
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Abstract

Involving children and young people in planning, decision making and the evaluation of services and programs inevitably raises the eyebrows of adults working in the areas of service delivery, program development and policy formulation. Some adults may question young people’s ability to see the ‘big picture’ and to make decisions, and even their right to be engaged in the first place. In challenging these ideas, the Western Australian Office for Children and Youth established a Children’s Advisory Group (CAG) in 2004 – the first of its kind to be created within the Western Australia Government, and one of the first such groups to be set up in Australia.

The current Children’s Advisory Group (CAG) is a diverse group often primary school children aged 9-12 years from the Perth metropolitan area. They are actively involved in all aspects of the Office’s operation. The CAG has been evaluated throughout its inaugural year of operation, both in terms of process and impact, and has been found to have a significant impact upon government policy and practice. This paper will outline the process for the establishment and implementation of a CAG and the evaluation of a CAG on government policy. It will highlight evaluation findings and discuss future directions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , 2005 , pp. 4 - 10
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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