Builds on guiding theoretical and practice frameworks (including child rights, child and family welfare, child health, child protection, etc.) used currently, both nationally and by the international community in order to shape interventions to address the challenges that exist for children and youth, with a specific focus on protecting children working with families and communities. Deconstructs colonialist practices, Eurocentric perspectives, using anti-oppression frameworks and Indigenous ways of knowing. Encourages understanding of the community and cultural systems of support for children and families that exist in many ways parallel to the more formal systems of support. Guides students to explore and navigate important tensions (such as the tension between immediate and long-term care; universal and local values; autonomy and safety) through critical reflection and discourse and questions who frames the problem and what impact this has on children, youth, and families.
Having developed a solid theoretical foundation of child wellbeing (inclusive of child and family welfare and child protection), explores the programmatic implications of guiding theories. Guides students to assess existing systems at the national and community level, with a lens to examine the impact on children’s wellbeing. This situates the child within broader ecological systems. Uses this deconstruction as a way to explore what reforming child protection systems might look like across different levels and contexts. Participates in critical discourse across multiple case studies.
Provides students the opportunity to understand and explore how to contribute to positive change in support of child wellbeing in a contextually appropriate and sustainable way for children, youth, families, communities, and nations. Facilitates engaged action-oriented change with children, youth, families, communities, and nations by drawing on leadership skills, systems mapping, and identifying levers of change. Considers different methodologies for research, monitoring, evaluation, learning, as well as programming skills (evidence, data, and decision-making); participatory, creative and play based approaches to engaging children and youth in navigating their way to wellbeing; and change and reform promoting approaches (problem-driven iterative adaptation and similar approaches, fostering institutional changes).