Zasada dobra dziecka w polskim systemie opieki nad dzieckiem

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the principle of the best interest of the child as the principle that is crucial for the system of family sup-port and institutional child care. The subject of the research is the Polish child care system in the context of the fulfillment of the principle of the best interest of the child. Searching for an answer to the question about the meaning of this principle in the pedagogy of care and child care system, the article discusses some of the key issues. These include the meaning of the best interest of the child principle in international reg-ulations and in the Polish law related to child care; caring pedagogy as the context for the research on the fulfillment of the best interest of the child principle in the child care system, seen from the perspective of a resocialization pedagogue; and contemporary transformations of the child care system aiming at fulfillment of its preventive function. The analysis of contemporary transformations of the child care system leads to the conclusion about the necessity to undertake empirical research in this area in the context of the protection of children’s rights and their welfare, regulated by the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 and the national law. This research can also be used to reform the system of child care in order to optimize the protection of children’s rights. The article is based on the method of content analysis of legal sources (national and international law) and interdisciplinary literature on the subject.