KidS Parliament
Cologne, Germany
Best practice - Participation
In the city of Cologne, the child and youth education institution (abbreviated: KidS) established a complaints procedure for children and young people living in care. To ensure long-term participation of children and young people, the aim was to inform them in a sustainable and age-appropriate way about the complaints procedure and how they can get involved. The aim is to ensure children and adolescents know their rights and how they can stand up for them when they see their rights violated within the care system.
Since November 2018, the KidS Parliament has met at least twice a year. In the meetings, children and young people are given the opportunity to submit their complaints and to participate in decision-making processes. The KidS Parliament currently consists of 24 children and adolescents, who are acting as spokespersons for their respective age groups and present the concerns and complaints of children and adolescents. A child participation specialist supports the activities of the Parliament. The specialist acts as the contact person for all fundamental concerns related to children’s rights, participation and complaints, and is responsible for the running of the KidS Parliament.
