Child Protection Policies in Special Education Schools: Mothers’ Perspectives Through a School Example in Türkiye

Background Children with special needs can face increased safeguarding risks due to the interaction of individual support needs and structural barriers, highlighting the importance of effective child protection policies in special education schools. Objective This study explored mothers’ views and concerns about child protection policies in a public special education school in Türkiye. Participants and setting The study was conducted with 15 mothers of children aged 3–18 years attending the same public special education school in Türkiye. Methods A qualitative phenomenological design was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Results Mothers demonstrated limited awareness of formal child protection policies and tended to associate child protection primarily with their own monitoring of their children and the attention of teachers rather than with institutional safeguarding measures. Key concerns included staff shortages, inadequate communication, and irregular information sharing. Mothers emphasized the need for clear and practice-oriented policies, adequate staffing, regular training, and active home–school collaboration. Conclusions Clear, accessible, and practice-oriented child protection policies, supported by adequate resources and stakeholder participation, are essential to improve the safety and well-being of children with special needs in special education schools.