IPPN

Published: 07 April 2016

The Department Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) has a dedicated Citizen Participation Unit, which has the lead national role in ensuring that children and young people have a voice in the design, delivery and monitoring of services and policies that affect their lives, at national and local level.

The DCYA collaborates with schools, other Government Departments, statutory bodies and non-government organisations. The work of the Citizen Participation Unit is guided by Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which states that children have a right to a voice on decisions that affect their lives. The DCYA Citizen Participation Unit is committed to ensuring the inclusion of seldom-heard children and young people in participation structures and initiatives.

After school care consultations with children
The DCYA is working on the development of standards and policy on after school care services, which are currently unregulated in Ireland. The Department is working with a wide range of stakeholders on this issue and recognises the importance of seeking the views of children themselves, who are the recipients of such care. The DCYA is undertaking consultations with children (aged 5-12 years) to inform the development of standards and future policy in this area.

The aim of the consultations is to identify what children like and dislike about afterschool care and to identify the places where children most like to be cared for after school. Separate consultations will be held with children in the 5-7 years age group and with children in the 8-12 years age group.

Creative and age-appropriate methodologies have been developed by the DCYA, whose expert Participation Support Team will carry out the consultations.

A report of the views of the children will be submitted to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to inform the development of standards and policy on after school care.

The consultations will take place in the first two weeks of May 2016 in Dublin, Cork and Athlone.

We would like to invite schools to select children to take part in these consultations and would appeal to Principals to ensure a mix of children with regard to social background, ethnicity and geographic location.

We will be looking for 3 children from each school in the 5-7 age range (one from each of Junior Infants, Senior Infants and 1st Class) and 5 children in the 8-12 age range (one from each of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Class).

We will cover all travel costs and the cost of substitute teachers and will feed the children and teachers who come to the consultations.

If you are interested in children from your school taking part in these consultations, please contact Karyn Farrell kfarrell@youthworkireland.ie.