Parents’ participation in the life of children in care: What social workers say about it

Parents’ participation in child protection is a complex topic both in its theoretical/methodological interpretation and for its operational implementation. Given the regulatory acknowledgement of parental responsibility to educate their children, decide in their best interests, and provide for their development (UN Convention, 1989), it is crucial to reflect on how to guarantee the exercise of these rights and duties in situations where children or young people need to be temporarily removed from their family for their protection. After a theoretical introduction of the concept of participation and brief outline of research on par- ents’ participation in child protection, a detailed analysis is presented of the results of research on parents’ participation in the life of their children removed from home and living in three children’s homes. Specifically, the viewpoint of child protection social workers regarding the advantages and critical issues of parents’ participation in the life of their children in children’s homes is highlighted.