Child Protection and Advocacy

Active learning works well for this topic because students must grasp complex systems of responsibility and interaction between agencies. When they act out roles or create campaigns, they move from abstract definitions to concrete understanding of how child protection functions in practice.

• 2nd Year
• Active Citizenship and the Democratic State
• 4 activities
• 35 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Compare the distinct roles of Tusla, the ISPCC, and Barnardos in child protection services within Ireland.
2. Design a public awareness campaign poster advocating for a specific child's right, such as the right to protection from abuse.
3. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Ireland's current child protection policies, referencing specific examples.
4. Explain the legal basis for child protection in Ireland, citing the Children First Act 2015 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Agency Response Chain

Assign roles: reporter, Tusla social worker, ISPCC advocate, and child/family. Present a scenario of suspected neglect; groups act out the referral process step-by-step. Debrief with a class chart comparing actual procedures. Rotate roles for equity.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the roles of various organizations in child protection.

Facilitation Tip: During the Agency Response Chain role-play, provide students with scenario cards that include clear details about the child’s background and the type of harm reported to guide their enactments.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 50 min·Pairs

Campaign Workshop: Right to Protection

In pairs, select a child's right like safety from violence. Brainstorm posters, slogans, and social media posts using Canva or paper. Present to class for feedback, then refine based on peer votes on clarity and impact.

Prepare & details

Design an awareness campaign about a specific child's right.

Facilitation Tip: In the Campaign Workshop, supply students with real campaign examples from ISPCC and Barnardos to analyze before designing their own, ensuring their messages align with actual advocacy strategies.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Policy Evaluation Debate: Tusla Effectiveness

Divide class into teams: one defends current policies with data from annual reports, the other critiques gaps like wait times. Provide prep cards with stats. Vote on strongest arguments post-debate.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the effectiveness of current child protection policies in Ireland.

Facilitation Tip: For the Policy Evaluation Debate, assign roles such as government official, NGO representative, and affected family member to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in the discussion.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 35 min·Individual

Research Stations: NGO Profiles

Set up stations for Tusla, ISPCC, Barnardos, and UNICEF Ireland with QR codes to websites. Students rotate, note roles and services in journals, then share one key fact per station in a whole-class mind map.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the roles of various organizations in child protection.

Facilitation Tip: At the Research Stations, include a mix of digital and print resources so students can compare how NGOs present their work online versus in annual reports.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should avoid presenting child protection as a purely bureaucratic process. Instead, use real cases to humanize the topic, ensuring students see how policies affect individual children. Research suggests that when students engage with authentic materials and role-play scenarios, they retain nuanced understanding of systemic responsibilities better than through lectures alone.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students accurately describing the distinct roles of Tusla, ISPCC, and Barnardos and explaining how these agencies collaborate. They should also identify gaps in protection services and propose justified improvements based on evidence from their activities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Agency Response Chain role-play, watch for students assuming parents or police handle all investigations independently.

What to Teach Instead

Use the role-play cards to explicitly assign tasks to Tusla, ISPCC, or Barnardos, and require students to justify why their assigned agency is involved in each step of the scenario.

Common Misconception

During the Campaign Workshop, watch for students assigning legal powers to NGOs like ISPCC or Barnardos.

What to Teach Instead

Provide campaign examples that highlight advocacy and support roles, and ask students to annotate their own campaign materials to show where they differentiate legal enforcement from supportive services.

Common Misconception

During the Policy Evaluation Debate, watch for students assuming all children receive the same level of protection services.

What to Teach Instead

Provide debate prompts that focus on vulnerable groups, such as migrant children or those with disabilities, and require students to cite specific policy gaps or service disparities in their arguments.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Agency Response Chain role-play, provide students with three new scenarios involving children's welfare. Ask them to identify which agency (Tusla, ISPCC, Barnardos) would be most appropriate to contact for each scenario and briefly explain why.

Discussion Prompt

After the Policy Evaluation Debate, pose the question: 'If you were a policymaker, what is one specific change you would propose to improve child protection services in Ireland and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share and debate their ideas, referencing evidence from their debate research and the debate itself.

Quick Check

During the Research Stations activity, present students with a list of child protection responsibilities (e.g., receiving reports of harm, providing counseling, lobbying government). Ask them to sort these responsibilities under the correct organization: Tusla, ISPCC, or Barnardos, and justify their sorting in a brief written reflection.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to create a social media campaign that targets a specific audience, such as teenagers, to raise awareness about reporting concerns to Tusla.
• Scaffolding for struggling students involves providing a partially completed flowchart of the agency response chain to help them organize their thoughts during the role-play.
• For deeper exploration, invite a guest speaker from a local child protection NGO to discuss how they implement the Children First Act in their daily work.

Key Vocabulary

Tusla	The Child and Family Agency in Ireland, responsible for child protection, welfare, and early years services. It receives notifications of harm and intervenes when necessary.
NGO	A Non-Governmental Organization that provides support services for children and families, often focusing on advocacy, counseling, and direct aid. Examples include ISPCC and Barnardos.
Child Protection	The safeguarding of children from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This involves both legal frameworks and practical support services.
Advocacy	The act of supporting or recommending a particular cause or policy. In child protection, this means speaking up for children's rights and needs.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child	An international treaty outlining the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children. It forms the basis for much of Ireland's child protection legislation.