Children's rights are being embedded across Scottish civic life. What does this mean and who can parents and/or children and young people contact for information and advice? Watch Connect's recorded video on children's rights and listen to our podcast. View this short Quick Tips: Rights Respecting Schools film too.
Children's rights and parents/carers
Children's rights empower parents too - parents are the first and foremost educators of their children and are their main champions and advocates.
- The Parents' Club published its United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Parents' Booklet in autumn 2022. It gives information about Children's Rights and the important role of parents/carers in upholding their child's rights. Children and young people have been learning about children's rights in schools and this booklet will help you understand more. The PDF of the booklet is here.
- Dr Colin Morrison, then of the Children's Parliament, provided an update on children's rights in Scotland after Connect's AGM on 15 November 2022. You can listen to Colin's presentation here.
- Together has a paper on parents and the UNCRC here.
- The full UNCRC are listed here. This summary is helpful too.
- The Scottish Government has a webpage on children's rights, describing the progress of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act which is now law in Scotland
- The Parent Club Scotland page on children's rights is here
- Young Scot has a helpful resource for young people.
Connect Resources on Children's Rights and Parent Councils
- Parent Councils and Children's Rights Q & A
- Supporting Children's Rights: A Checklist for Parent Councils
- Quick Tips film: Children's Rights for Parent Councils
- Quick Tips film: Parent Concerns and Complaints - The Role of Children's Rights.
Children's rights and organisations supporting these, including legal help
The following organisations work in the field of children's rights, offering a range of support, information and services:
- Rights Respecting Schools in Scotland is delivered by UNICEF.
- Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland: This is a person who works to uphold children's rights, seeks to hear from children and young people, commissions research and raises matters of concern.
- Clan Childlaw: legal help and advice for children or young people up to the age of 18 (or 21 if they have been a looked after child), call 0808 1290 522 or email info@clanchildlaw.org.
- The Scottish Child Law Centre: free expert legal advice and information for children and young people, their families and carers, and professionals working for and with children. Find helpful short videos on additional support for learning and legal rights here.