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After an examination of the Kilbrandon Committee’s work in the early 1960s, this chapter will offer an analysis of the major changes to the Scottish child protection process brought about by the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 – including that Act’s increased focus on preventive measures, a greater involvement of the child’s family, and the clarification and enhancement of the role of the local authority. There follows the lead up to and enactment of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, with its increased focus on participation rights and the restructuring of local authority duties towards vulnerable children and those who are now “looked after”. Thereafter, the new regimes regulating the provision of care in residential establishments and in foster care (the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 and the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010) are explored in detail, as is the development of “GIRFEC” as the major Governmental tool. The chapter ends by exploring the restructuring of the children’s hearing system by the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, and the failed “named person” scheme in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. Contemporary international conventions are described.

This chapter examines children's rights in the framework of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child with a focus on the rights to protection, provision and participation. It discusses the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. It also considers the linkages with other parts of the child labour model discussed throughout this book.

This chapter examines the issues involved in trying to reconcile the right of parents to inculcate religion in the young with children's rights to religious freedom. It first charts the emergence of children's rights as human rights, with emphasis on children's religious rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It then considers how and when children develop religious beliefs before turning to the case of Lautsi v. Italy to illustrate the interplay and evolution of historical, developmental, human rights, and cultural factors in thinking about children and religion.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognizes that children in out-of-home care are entitled to special protection to promote their physical and psychological recovery. The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, which are intended to enhance implementation of the UNCRC, also acknowledge the importance of transitional and aftercare support. This chapter explores progress toward realizing the rights of youth leaving out-of-home care in Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The emerging picture is that all these jurisdictions have some way to go to meet the standards enshrined in the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and that emerging adults with complex needs are not currently sufficiently empowered or enabled to exercise their rights.

This chapter focuses on the impact of social injustice on children, primarily in the United States, emphasizing children’s rights in a legal context. It begins with a discussion of the legal status of children in society, citing international standards and U.S. law. It describes how social injustice affects the health needs of children. It describes how poverty, environmental hazards, public policies related to civil and human rights, and other factors threaten the health of children. It analyzes the underlying factors and roots of social injustice that affect children, including maldistribution of income and failure to invest in the neediest families. The chapter concludes with a discussion of what needs to be done and the roles of health workers in addressing social injustice that affects children. A text box describes how the United States compares with other high-income countries in addressing the needs of children. Another text box focuses on saving children’s lives in low-income countries.