Children’s participation and the logic of care: An analysis of narratives from Childhood-Haus professionals in Germany

The Childhood-Haus (CH) concept in Germany, based on the Northern European Barnahus model, aims to provide child-friendly care and justice for children suspected of having experienced violence. A key element of the concept is the promotion of children’s rights, including the right to be heard and receive information (Barnahus Standard 1.2), also referred to as child participation. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at three CHs and informed by Annemarie Mol’s concept of care, this article explores how participation is enacted by professionals—including pediatricians, police officers, psychologists, judges, and security staff. Analyzing professionals’ narratives, we show that participation is accomplished through their caring practices, which are attuned not only to children but also to other professionals and the atmosphere surrounding them. Professionals engage in careful experimenting and “tinkering,” in Mol’s sense, by sensitively attuning and responding to children while completing their formal duties, all of which is essential for enabling participation and realizing children’s rights. By foregrounding these caring practices, the article contributes to the development of the Barnahus model and its literature, offering a grounded and nuanced understanding of how Barnahus Standard 1.2 can be realized in practice.