Children and the Communities

'This book is both sad and refreshing. Sad that a book has to be written for a society acknowledged for a sentimentality that runs little more than skin deep. Refreshing that a clutch of practitioner professionals can come together to mull over issues which can improve the lot of children.' AMA News With the continuing debate in the UK on the 1989 Children Act, and the alternative given by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, there is an urgent need to reassert children's rights to participate in the neighbourhood context. This collection addresses two crucial and linked questions: how can children participate in decision-making activities which impact on their lives? And how can children keep hold of their rights in neighbourhoods-eg play, access, safety-at a time when those rights are severely threatened? Readers are encouraged to make links between different aspects of children's lives and the book aims to ensure that children's participation in their neighbourhood rights are taken seriously by policy makers. The book brings together contributors from a range of perspectives and makes the case for understanding children 'in the round'