Fife Children's Rights Service

Fife Children’s Rights Service is part of Barnardos Scotland who have been commissioned by Fife Council to provide an independent Children’s Rights Service for Fife’s Children.

The aim of Fife Children’s Rights Service is to place the Rights of vulnerable Children and Young People at the forefront of decision making and to ensure that their Rights (as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) are promoted and safeguarded.

The Convention is there for children, but it is also there for adults, to remind us how we all should treat children if we want to promote a world of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom and equality. Children need to learn about all these things from all of us.  

What are Children’s Rights?

In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (The CRC). This treaty spells out the rights of all children and is based on four key principles:

• the best interests of the child should be the first consideration for actions that affect him or her
• all children have the right to life, survival and development
• all children have the right to participate
• all rights belong to all children without discrimination or exception

Some examples of Children’s Rights are:

• the right to have a voice in matters that affect children
• the right to special protection
• the right to special education and care
• the right to play and rest
• the right to health

The CRC also acknowledges the key role of parents and families in the lives of children and young people.