Family and Supporting adults | | Movimento Globale per i Diritti dell’Infanzia

Every child has the right to have a family and/or reference adults who adequately accompany her/his life and development.

Art. 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Parents and adults of reference play an essential role in the realisation of children’s rights. Indeed, these fundamental relationships can contribute to the positive development of each child’s identity, affectivity, acquisition of skills, knowledge and behaviour.

In normal circumstances, the parents of a child play a crucial role in the realisation of his or her rights, together with other members of the family, extended family or community, including legal guardians, as appropriate. This is fully recognised in the Convention (in particular in Article 5), along with the obligation of States parties to provide assistance, including quality childcare services.

The preamble of the Convention refers to the family as "the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members, particularly children". The UN Committee recognised in General Comment No. 7 of 2005, that the term ’family’ refers to a variety of structures that can provide for the care, nurture and development of children, including the nuclear family, the extended family and other traditional and modern community-based structures, as long as they are consistent with the rights and best interests of children.

Infants and young children are completely dependent on adults, but they are not passive recipients of care, direction and guidance. They are active social agents, seeking protection, nurturing and understanding from their parents or other caregivers, which they need for their survival, growth and well-being. Under normal circumstances, young children form strong reciprocal bonds with their parents or caregivers.

These relationships provide children with physical and emotional security, as well as constant care and attention. Through these relationships, children build a personal identity and acquire culturally valued skills, knowledge and behaviour. In this way, parents (and other caregivers) are usually the main conduit through which children are able to realise their rights.

Adults thus play a fundamental role in the upbringing of boys and girls. However, even though the agency and self-determination of children today is more considered and respected in some social contexts, a deep understanding of their needs and emotions is often still disregarded. Childhood, when listened to, recognised and positively cared for, represents an opportunity for the quality of life of adults.