Sylda Langford Director General Office of the Minister for Children OMC

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Sylda LangfordDirector GeneralOffice of the
Minister for Children (OMC)

• University College Cork
• 27 November, 2006

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Office of the Minister for Children

• Dec 2005 - Government Decision to create the
  Office
• Functions relating to Children brought together
  under OMC
• Enhanced role for Minister
• Coordination of National Childrens Strategy

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Key areas of Policy

• National Childrens Strategy
• Childcare - Implementing the National Childcare
  Investment Programme (2006-2010)
• Early Years Education
• Youth Justice incorporating implementation of
  the Children Act
• Child Welfare and Protection

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Structure for Progress

• Minister for Children now at Cabinet Table
• Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and
  Children
• Integral Part of the Department of Health and
  Children
• Director General attends Management Advisory
  Committee of 3 Departments
• Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion
  (SOGSI)

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Towards 2016

• Ten Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement
  2006-2015
• A new Framework to address key social challenges
  at each stage in life cycle
• Children are one of the key lifecycle stages

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Towards 2016

• Chair of National Implementation Group (NIG)
• Cross Departmental Business Plan for Children to
  be developed
• Governance body for Prevention and Early
  Intervention Fund
• Joined up and better delivery of services

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Towards 2016

• At County level Children Services Committees
  (mirrors composition of NIG)
• County Level Plans will be developed
• Joined up and better delivery of services at
  ground level

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Areas within Policies

• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP)
• Support womens participation in employment
• National Childcare Strategy (1999)
• New National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP
  2006 -2010)
• development of quality childcare supports will
  build on the EOCP
• New Childcare Training Strategy (2006)

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• Funding
• EOCP - 499 mil to end 2006
• Includes 297 mil capital to date
• NCIP funding from 2006 -2010 - 575mil.
• 358.8mil capital
• 218mil current

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• Maternity leave - more support for first year of
  life
• March 2006
• Both paid mat. leave and unpaid mat. leave
  increased by 4 weeks,
• March 2007
• Both paid mat. leave and unpaid mat. leave will
  increase by a further 4 weeks
• Totals available by March 2007
• paid 26 weeks,
• unpaid 16 weeks
• And also 14 weeks unpaid parental leave available

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• Early Childhood Supplement
• Child benefit increase towards childcatre cost
• new quarterly payment of 250 for children under
  6 - 1,000 per year per child
• Total cost 265 mil in 2006 will rise in 2007
  (full year cost)
• Run by Dept Social and family Affairs for OMC
• Will be paid to 273,000 families/386,000 children

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• Child Welfare and Protection Policy
• Role of HSE
• Development of Family Support Services policy
• Ferns
• Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection
• New Regulations Sept 2007
• Children First Guidelines

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Youth Justice

• New Irish Youth Justice Service
• Strategy being Developed - early 2007
• Budget allocation
• 2007 16.2mil (12.6 capital),
• 16.8mil Garda Diversion, etc
• Amendments to Children Act under CJ Act 2006
• Assuming responsibility for Children detention
  schools in early 2007
• Coordination and partnership approach

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• Recreation Policy
• National Recreation Policy being finalised
• target 12 to 18 year olds
• Public consultation process voice of young
  people
• Policy going to Gov Shortly
• Evidence suggests children require both
  structured and unstructured activities
• More facilities expansion of existing provision
• Single biggest need around youth cafés

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Prevention and Early Intervention Fund.

• Examine innovative methods for improving outcomes
  for children in an integrated way
• Small number of projects
• 3 Disadvantaged areas/strong community
  development
• Co-funded between The Atlantic Philanthropies and
  Government - total funding 36 mil.
• Learning can be benchmarked and evaluated
• If successful enhanced resource allocation and
  policy changes to improve outcomes for all
  children

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• Children and Young Peoples participation
• Comhairle na NÓg improving operation
• Consulting youth on Age of Consent
• Student Councils
• Civil Social and Political Education

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National Longitudinal Study of Ireland

• Study factors that undermine well being of
  children
• Through this, contribute to setting effective and
  responsive policies relating to children
• Monitor development of 18,000 children over 9
  year period
• a birth cohort of 10,000
• 8,000 at age 9
• Economic and Social Research Institute and TCD
  undertaking the Study

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Other roles of the OMC

• Irelands appearance before United Nations
  Committee on the Rights of the child (UNCRC)
• Referendum on Childrens Rights
• National Set of Child Well being Indicators and
  State of the Nations Childrens Report

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• Ready Steady Play - a National Play Policy (2004
  -2008)
• Ratification of Hague Convention on the
  Protection of Children and Co-operation in
  respect of Inter-Country Adoption

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