National Preventive Mechanism approach that has effects in all areas of out-of-home care measures from the decision and admission process through the care period to completion of the phase of independence. According to the Quality4Children Standards, which were drafted by order of the European Council for the extra-familial care of children and young adults in Europe on the basis of UNCRC, the child is recognised as the expert for its own life. To this end, it must be informed, heard and taken seriously, and its resilience should be recognised as its greatest potential. Even though the participatory rights are anchored in the child and youth welfare laws of the Laender and in the Federal Children’s and Youth Service Act, several of the children and adolescents interviewed said that they are summoned to the help plan meetings but only after the adults had made all of the decisions. It does not suffice if participatory rights are only anchored in the law; they have to be lived in practice every day. Positive examples There are facilities in Germany, especially the Children’s House (Kinderhaus) in Berlin, which have been managed in a participative way for 30 years. Children and adolescents are even involved in decisions on the use of subsidies and personnel questions there. These facilities have shown that decisions made involving the children and adolescents are better accepted, supported and ultimately implemented. Rules and the consequences of violating regulations in particular have to be defined with the children and adolescents living in the facility and adjusted regularly so that the minors comply with them. There are of course facilities in Austria that are already implementing these experiences and findings by involving the children more frequently in decision processes, and they are achieving success with them. In the shared accommodations of a Viennese association, children’s representatives were elected and institutionalised who direct the wishes and complaints to the care team and the pedagogical management and meet each other. On the request of the children’s representatives, a welcome folder for new residents and a comprehensive children’s guide were drafted. Participation as fundamental approach 146 The involvement of children and adolescents in different projects means that they identify more with them and implement them better. Participation is of vital importance in out-of-home care in particular, as children and adolescents often have first to learn to communicate their own wishes and interests. Participation can only function if both the management of a facility and the personnel have a positive attitude to the topic. It is noticeable that the participation of the children and adolescents only happens in facilities in which the staff is also involved in the decision making processes of the facility. A very important condition for participation is that the children and adolescents can recognise and achieve positive results and developments, because only in this way can they be aware that their commitment paid off.