The Evolution of Child Rights Councils in Brazil

If it is true that a child rights framework alters our views and actions towards improving children’s lives, it is also true that the breadth of the concept makes concrete implementation difficult. In this paper the expansiveness of the concept is addressed by focusing attention on a community-based model of child-care derived from the Child Rights Legislation in Brazil. Departing from a general view of the child related policies in Brazil, the child rights monitoring system currently in place in that country is described. The potential contribution of this structure to child well-being is considered, taking account of the fact that the system is still scaling up. It is recommended that key aspects of the structure be systematically evaluated to place it on the most secure operational platform in Brazil. Such an effort will advance the generalizability of the Brazilian experience to other countries and guide applications of this model, particularly in democratically developing societies.