The course of the next five years for children can carry the weight of his or her next ten years. It’s a period of life where one is flexible, impressionable, and vulnerable.  Depending on the kinds of opportunities that were available in the communities they live and the kinds of values and skills that were taught as they grew up, their lives could change for the better or for worse.  It’s easy to agree that in the first couple decades of one’s life, a lot of societal support, investment, and protection is required so that one may reach independence and maturity. Since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set a standard for human rights in 1948, the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 has specified what this means for children.  In a nutshell, Convention rights outline that children have the right to protection, provision, and participation, summarized here: