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:

1. To build up a more coherent understanding of children's development and needs among those working with children
2. To develop an evidence-based approach to decision-making at all levels down to the point of service delivery
3. To improve the commissioning, production and dissemination of research and information
4. 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.