Meeting needs or protecting rights: Which way for children’s services?

Abstract

The concepts of need and rights are used regularly as organising principles for thinking about child well-being and children’s services in western developed countries. There is a lack of clarity, however, about what they mean, how they are related and the implications of this for provision for vulnerable children. This article sets out definitions of need and rights, discusses what each one adds to the understanding of child well-being and explores the implications of this analysis for children’s services.