What we do
The main goal of the Research Division of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) is to:
facilitate the achievement of a better understanding of how children grow up in Ireland, including both their individual and shared needs.
There are four key objectives for achieving this goal:
- To build up a more coherent understanding of children's development and needs among those working with children
- To develop an evidence-based approach to decision-making at all levels down to the point of service delivery
- To improve the commissioning, production and dissemination of research and information
- To improve evaluation and monitoring of children's service
Specific measures being taken under this Goal include:
- commissioning and overseeing a national longitudinal study of children
- developing a children's research programme;
- capacity building in children's research;
- improving information systems about children’s lives;
- developing a national set of child well-being indicators; and
- compiling a State of the Nation's Children report.
