Over the next three years, the Children’s Rights Alliance will:

  • Build a 2-3 person dedicated team to work on child poverty/social exclusion and improved outcomes across the lifecycle for children and young people.
  • Establish a Child Poverty Members Steering Group with key influential leaders from the sector to guide and provide direction to the Children’s Rights Alliance child poverty/social exclusion work.
  • Ensure the next National Policy Framework on Children and Young People contains a specific focus on child poverty.
  • Publish an annual Child Poverty Monitor to shine a spotlight on the key areas where children and young people continue to experience poverty including in accessing education, healthcare.
  • Run an End Child Poverty Week in the run up to the Annual Budget to put a national focus on child poverty.
  • Work to ensure that the Government implements an appropriate reception/accommodation response for Ukrainian refugees with a special focus on child protection/trafficking concerns and education.
  • Work to ensure that the recommendations in the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision continue to be implemented.
  • Commission/participate in strategic pieces of research to document the extent and nature of inequality and exclusion of certain groups of vulnerable children and young people.
  • Participate in pilot projects to highlight and address inequalities.

Impacts

  • The new National Policy Framework on Children and Young People (BOBF) will contain a specific focus on child poverty and included a suite of actions, including the establishment of a Child Poverty Reduction Implementation Unit, local child poverty plans and a specific target for early intervention and prevention/family support programmes.
  • Early intervention and prevention are core principles embedded in the next BOBF and key universal services are rolled out (for example, public health nurses for children).
  • Childcare is nearly free for families on low incomes and the State begins planning childcare to be available alongside education/training options.
  • The Government rolls out the National Childcare Action Plan with key regulatory measures and education requirements for childminders.
  • A new scheme with high level wraparounds (DEIS early years type programme) is introduced.
  • Free schoolbooks are introduced in primary school settings.
  • Every child is guaranteed a hot meal in their early years’ setting.
  • Qualified Child Increase (welfare payment) for children increases by 10%.
  • There are increased investments in play, extracurricular activities and play/recreation infrastructure.
  • The next Programme for Government adopts a key focus on child poverty, prevention and early intervention and commits to establishing a public early years’ childcare system.
  • Ensure that the reception system for refugees complies with human rights standards and all families with children live in own-door accommodation in the community.
  • Ensure that parents in Direct Provision can access the Child Benefit type payment for each of their children.
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