Participation in Decisions

The institution had a children’s convention and a child-to-child conference to help children express their opinions on the services and activities at the centre. The head of the institution stated that residents of all ages were taught about their rights and were encouraged to reach out to staff members with issues or complaints.

When asked whether they had autonomy in managing their time and space, all of the interviewed residents reported having tight, pre-planned schedules. One individual said that while there was a fixed schedule, residents still had the freedom to choose how they would like to end their day: playing cards, watching television, resting in the bedroom or the common room, praying, etc.