What we do
Children and young people are not the adults of tomorrow but the citizens of today
It is Government policy to promote the participation of children and young people in civic society. This commitment is in line with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Goal 1 of the National Children’s Strategy is that 'children will have a voice in matters which affect them and their views will be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity'.
The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) is committed to implementing this goal by promoting and supporting participation by children and young people in issues that affect them. The OMCYA takes a lead role under the National Children’s Strategy 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 OMCYA is continuously learning from working in partnership with children and young people and our practice has changed and improved through this interaction. Our understanding of the needs, concerns and interests of young people have resulted in policies and practices that are more relevant and more likely to be effective. All our work in the OMCYA is based on the belief that children and young people are not the adults of tomorrow but the citizens of today.
The OMCYA is responsible for overseeing the development and improvement of participation structures and also undertakes specific participation initiatives in partnership with statutory bodies, government departments and non-government organisations. We are committed to ensuring that seldom heard children and young people are included in participation structures and projects.
The OMCYA is working to become a centre of excellence for participation by children and young people in decision-making. Central to the success of this participation work is the collaborative interaction between the participation and research teams within the OMCYA. This collaboration ensures that best practice in young people’s participation is a priority and that outcomes are robust and evidenced-based.
Participation Structures
In the last seven years, the OMCYA has worked to ensure the establishment or consolidation of 7 key structures to support children and young people's participation:
- Comhairle na nÓg (local youth councils);
- Dáil na nÓg (national youth parliament);
- Student councils;
- The OMCYA Children and Young People’s Forum;
- Children and Young People's Participation Support Team;
- Inclusion Programme;
- National Consultations.
A Children and Young People's Participation Partnership Committee, bringing all key stakeholders together, is also in operation.
Young Voices
In 2005, the National Children’s Office (now the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs), the Children’s Rights Alliance and the National Youth Council of Ireland developed participation guidelines called Young Voices – How to involve children and young people in your work. The Young Voices guidelines encourage agencies and organisations in the statutory and non-statutory sectors to develop a culture of participation by children and young people.
