Family participation in child protection: Voices of practitioners and care leavers
Gaia Borrelli, Davide Cino
This paper explores participation in child protection pathways by bringing into dialogue the perspectives of social and educational professionals and those of care leavers. Drawing on interviews and focus groups, the study collects narratives and reflections on the conditions, obstacles, and possibilities for fostering the genuine involvement of children and families. Professionals highlight the centrality of trusting relationships, built through presence, listening, and transparency, while also reporting the challenges of working within a system still shaped by directive approaches. Care leavers stress the importance of being recognized and supported, while also expressing the burden of loneliness and the lack of adequate support for their families of origin. The findings suggest that participation cannot be understood as a mere formal requirement, but rather as a dynamic process requiring awareness, shared responsibility, and the capacity to navigate the complexity of educational and institutional relationships.
Keywords
Participation, child protection, social workers, care leavers, educational relationships.