Re-crafting Child-Led Research for Australian Welfare Services: The ‘How’ of Working alongside Children

Abstract

In 2011, UnitingCare Burnside implemented a Child-Led Research (CLR) program, for the first time in Australia producing positive outcomes for children. The program delivered an inimitable means in which to teach children ‘how’ to create their own knowledge and facilitated their contributions to their own emotional and social well-being. This is a critical reflection on the CLR program, re-crafted for children living in disadvantaged communities. It explores ‘how’ they achieved through the genuine hearing and responding to the whole child — not just their voices. It discusses time and relationships as key elements for research and practice, raising questions about the potential of CLR within the welfare sector.