Child Centred Care: Challenging Assumptions and Repositioning Children and Young People

Abstract

Theoretical principles: Against a backdrop of increasing debate regarding children's voice and position within health care and the struggle to effectively implement Family-Centred Care (FCC) in practice, the concept of Child-Centred Care (CCC) has emerged.

Phenomena addressed: The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of CCC and its potential theoretical alignment with an ecological approach to health care.

Research linkages: The paper will draw on practice-based research, highlighting the differences and similarities of CC against the more established FCC. Arguments will be presented to show that rather than competing with FCC, CCC has the potential to complement or extend traditional FCC, by placing children in a more prominent and central position than that which they currently hold within health care.

Keywords: Child; Child-centred care; Ecological model; Family-centred care; Health care.