Children’s right to participate: The Lundy model applied to early childhood education and care

Abstract

Children have the right to express their views in all matters affecting them, and to have them considered and given due weight. Children’s participation is most meaningful when rooted in children’s everyday lives, and its promotion should be encouraged from the youngest ages, especially in early childhood education and care (ecec). In this paper we apply the Lundy model of participation, widely used in policy, practice and professional development initiatives, to the ecec context. Based on examples provided by ecec professionals from Belgium, Greece, Poland, and Portugal, we illustrate the implementation of the elements of space, voice, audience and influence, proposed by the Lundy model. We also discuss the interrelations among these elements and the need for organisational and contextual support to enhance children’s participation. This paper adds to existing literature, highlighting theoretical and practical issues associated with the promotion of children’s right to participate in ecec.