Participation among young people in the child protection system and how it relates to subsequent educational and employment outcomes

Background: Previous research has shown that young people in the child protection system experience different levels of participation in decision-making on important issues. Nonetheless, researchers agree that children’s participation in decision-making is likely to affect critical factors in their lives, such as educational and employment performance.
Objectives: This study aimed to examine (1) to what extent the level of participation in decision-making is related to this group of young people’s subsequent education and employment, and (2) how the relation varies between different dimensions of the measure of participation.
Participants and setting: Participants were a sample of 1,477 young Danish individuals who received out-of-home care or preventive in-home care in 2019 and who answered a questionnaire regarding their participation in decision-making.
Results: This study found a positive association between overall perceived participation and entering upper secondary education, even after controlling for individual-, parental- and case-specific background characteristics. However, no association with school-leaving exams or employment was identified. Unfolding the underlying dimensions of our measure of participation showed that the influence dimension drives a positive association with upper secondary education. At the same time, a better relationship with the caseworker is positively related to leaving the labor market.
Conclusions: Young people’s participation in decision-making in the child protection system does not relate as strongly to their subsequent performance as anticipated. However, the measure of participation is complex. The evidence suggests that the lack of association is partly driven by non-linear associations and the causal ambiguity of the dimension concerning the relationship with the caseworker.