“Now I Understand why She Needs Our help”

Children’s right to be listened to and taken seriously according to Article 12 of the uncrc is an important objective of children’s services. This article is based on a qualitative case study with children to explore child participation in research and the understanding of collaborative alliances. Analysis of field notes from workshops with children as co-researchers in a co-creation project forms a picture of four key components to answer the research question of how collaborative alliance as a methodological approach to child participation can support their ability to express their views freely: (a) having a valuable role in the collaboration, (b) creating a safe framework, (c) inclusion through information, and (d) an open and exploratory approach to the task. In this methodological approach, there is a suggestion of a ‘task-oriented approach’ to meaningful participation, as well as a proposal for chronological order for these elements.