It depends on the building make-up... if this is a false ceiling with the original ceiling still fully in tact then no, if its the true ceiling and the barrier of a possible fire spreading to an area above then yes you are required to maintain the fire rating of any material you breach and with recess lights this can only be done with fire rated self sealing fittings.
The problem is that this usually applies to 90% of installs but the wholesalers and big DIY stores peddle the non-fire rated versions out by the tonne so more often than not public safety is put at risk indirectly, Im in the strong believe all recess fitting should be fire rated regardless.
As its family related I think regardless of the in ands out of the requirements I personally would be trying to give them 30mins - 1hr possible extra escape time in the event of a fire in a room below where they sleep.
