Competence Center – Empowering Children in Decision-Making

Is your task to listen to children? Are you looking for support in promoting children’s participation in decision-making?

You’ve come to the right place! This page is being developed during summer 2025.

Every child has the right to express their opinion on matters that affect them, taking into account their age and level of development. Adults have a duty and responsibility to consider children’s views in their decision-making—both in everyday matters and in broader decision-making processes.

Listening to children, especially younger ones or those in vulnerable positions, can feel challenging or even impossible. The purpose of this website is to help with that!

The site brings together information, tools, methods, and examples of how children’s participation can be supported and strengthened in decision-making. Only a selection of materials is available on the English-language website. You can find more materials on the Finnish-language pages.

This page has been created in collaboration with SOS Children’s Village and a network of experts on the participation of young children. This page is part of the EU-funded ICPN project.

Welcome to explore and learn!

What is the ICPN project?

The ICPN project (Inclusive Child Participation Networks) is a two-year (2025–2026) collaborative initiative funded by the EU’s CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values). It brings together 18 organizations from 11 countries with the shared goal of promoting inclusive and systematic child participation in decision-making processes, from the local level up to the European level.

One of the project’s key goals is to develop an online platform that gathers good practices and knowledge to support decision-makers and professionals working with children in strengthening child participation.

The project especially seeks to improve the quality and impact of participation processes for children whose voices are often unheard.

Find out more here.

Materials:

A web application developed by Metropolia, Savonia, Arcada, Kela, and the National Centre for Children’s and Youth Rehabilitation to promote the participation of children and young people in rehabilitation.

Through the application, children and young people can share what matters to them and express their wishes.

The application is also suitable for use outside of rehabilitation contexts.

Link: https://digimetku.fi/

Material by Save the Children Finland for exploring children’s perspectives: what brings joy, what causes worry, and what are your hopes for the future?

Suitable for use with children of all ages.

Link: https://www.pelastakaalapset.fi/lapsilta-opittua/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2025/07/the-sun-of-joys-the-cloud-of-worries-and-the-tree-of-wishes.pdf

Material by Save the Children Finland and the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters for identifying what makes a child feel safe: places, things, and people.

Suitable for use with children of all ages.

Link: https://www.pelastakaalapset.fi/lapsilta-opittua/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2025/07/hope-and-safety-tool.pdf

Material by Save the Children Finland for exploring how children’s rights are realized in their everyday lives.

Suitable for use with children of all ages.

Link: https://www.pelastakaalapset.fi/lapsilta-opittua/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2024/12/the-cards-of-the-rights-of-the-children.pdf

A constructive dialogue model developed by the City of Lahti, based on the Erätauko (Timeout) dialogue method.

The model brings together children, the adults who work with them, and decision-makers for shared discussions. The aim is to share and hear different perspectives on a chosen topic and to deepen understanding of the subject.

Suitable for children of various ages and has also been used in early childhood education.

Link: https://www.lahti.fi/en/education-and-training/basic-education/curriculum/kid-dialogue/

Organization: Office of the Ombudsman for Children in Finland

Children: Children and young people of different ages and backgrounds (participants vary)

Objective/Agenda: Activities that are part of the Ombudsman for Children’s mandate, aimed at listening to children and young people. The goal is to convey what children share to decision-makers and professionals, and to utilize children’s insights as part of the Ombudsman’s work. Activities include various formats such as themed meetings, recurring group sessions, and one-time visits.

Link: https://lapsiasia.fi/en/young-advisers

A guide that offers a model, tips, and tools for developing services together with children.

Link: https://www.pelastakaalapset.fi/lapsilta-opittua/wp-content/uploads/sites/80/2023/09/save_the_children_child-centered_design.pdf

A guide by Save the Children Finland for conducting child-friendly child impact assessments: includes information and tools for hearing children of different ages.

Link: https://www.pelastakaalapset.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/pelastakaa-lapset-lapsivaikutusarviointi_en2.pdf

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Project: 101190368 — ICPNs — CERV-2024-CHILD