Disabled Children and Child Protection: Learning From Literature Through a Non-Tragedy Lens

ABSTRACT

Disabled children experience unique vulnerabilities in the context of child protection and welfare services. Current research alludes to strong concerns about social inequality, professional responses, judgement, knowledge and awareness limitations, and practical constraints. This article presents a focused commentary on the literature pertaining to child protection and disabled children. It does so through the lens of a broad affirmative non-tragedy approach. Within this, consideration is given to the distinct experience of disabled children within the broader child protection and welfare system, including experiences of being in care and of leaving care. The matter of children’s rights is explicitly addressed with a particular focus on the right for children to have their voices heard. Core themes are drawn from the body of material, which are then used to inform a discussion on the key points of learning for practitioners and policy makers moving forward. The article concludes with the recognition that, to date the matter of supporting disabled children and their families within the child protection and welfare context remains both critical and broadly neglected. It proposes that the affirmative non-tragedy model offers an effective theoretical lens to progress an assertive children’s rights approach within the child protection and welfare context.

KEYWORDS:

• Affirmative non-tragedy
• welfare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Susan Flynn has extensive practice experience within the field of disability and child welfare. She is presently a social worker in child and family services in Ireland and a PhD Fellow at the School of Political Science and Sociology NUI Galway.

Caroline McGregor is Professor at the School of Political Science and Sociology and Senior Researcher at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway. Up to 2012, she published under the name of Caroline Skehill.