The essential principles behind the Act are:

• each child has a right to be treated as an individual
• each child who can form a view on matters affecting him or her has the right to express those views if he or she so wishes
• parents should normally be responsible for the upbringing of their children and should share that responsibility
• each child has the right to protection from all forms of abuse, neglect or exploitation
• so far as is consistent with safeguarding and promoting the child's welfare, the public authority should promote the upbringing of children by their families
• any intervention by a public authority in the life of a child must be properly justified and should be supported by services from all relevant agencies working in collaboration.

In support of the principles three main themes run through the Act:

• the welfare of the child is the paramount consideration when his or her needs are considered by courts and children's hearings
• no court should make an Order relating to a child and no children's hearing should make a supervision requirement unless the court or hearing considers that to do so would be better for the child than making no Order or supervision requirement at all
• the child's views should be taken into account where major decisions are to be made about his or her future.