STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD: STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD:

IRELAND 2006IRELAND 2006 Towards a better understanding of Towards a better understanding of children’s liveschildren’s lives

Anne-Marie BrooksAnne-Marie Brooks2828thth June 2007 June 2007

BACKGROUND (1)BACKGROUND (1)

Commitment given in the National Children’s Strategy

Compiled by the Research Division, Office of the Minister for Children in association with:

The Central Statistics Office The Statistics Division of the Department of Health

and Children The Health Promotion Unit, National University of

Galway, Ireland

Range of reviewers of single indicators from policy, research and service provider areas

BACKGROUND (2)BACKGROUND (2)

1. A background review of indicators sets in use elsewhere and the compilation of an inventory of key indicators, domains and indicator selection criteria;

2. A feasibility study of the availability of national statistics to construct the indicators identified in the previous step;

3. A study on Children’s Understandings of Well-Being; and

4. A consensus process referred to as a Delphi technique, where participants on ‘a panel of expertise’ agreed indicators for use in the Irish context.

PRINCIPLES PRINCIPLES

Go beyond basic survival in its representation of well-being

Focus on positive as well as negative aspects of children’s lives

Take account of the experience of childhood in itself

Include some of the new domains of child well-being

SELECTION CRITERIASELECTION CRITERIA

Comprehensive coverage Children of all ages Clear and comprehensible Positive outcomes Forward-looking Rigorous methods Geographically detailed Cost-efficient Reflective of social goals

AIM OF THE REPORTAIM OF THE REPORT

Describes the lives of children in Ireland

Tracks changes over time

Benchmarks progress in Ireland relative to other countries

STRUCTURE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT (1)REPORT (1)

Executive Summary Introduction

Section 1: Socio-demographics Section 2: Children’s relationships:

- Parental relationships- Peers relationships

Section 3: Children’s outcomes: - Education- Health- Social, emotional and

behavioural Section 4: Formal and informal

supports

Index

STRUCTURE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT (2)REPORT (2)

Context Significance

Findings: description according to: – gender, – Age, – Geography, – Social class, – International comparisons

Technical notes Access further information

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD

KEY FINDINGS

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD Socio-DemographicsSocio-Demographics

% population under 18 years:25% in 2005

% children in lone parent families:14% in 2004

Infant mortality rate:4.8 per 1,000 in 2004

Child mortality rate:4.6 per 10,000 in 2004

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD Children’s RelationshipsChildren’s Relationships

IRELAND RANK WHO AVERAGE

% of children (10-17 years) with three or more friends

90.3 1st/35 78.8

% of children (10-17 years) bullied in the last couple of months

25.9 27th/35 33.5

% of children (10-17 years) who find to easy to talk to their mothers

79.4 27th/35 82.7

% of children (10-17 years) who find to easy to talk to their fathers

58.7 24th/35 64.2

Source: HBSC, 2002

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD Children’s Health Children’s Health OutcomesOutcomes

5.4% babies born at low birth weight (2003)

Breastfeeding initation rates of 44.5% (2003)

Youth suicide accounted for 22% of all deaths in the 10-17 year age group (2004)

1,425 substantiated notifications to the Child Protection Notification System (2004)

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD Children’s Educational Children’s Educational OutcomesOutcomes

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF 15 YEAR OLDS

IRELAND

RANK OECD AVERAGE

Reading scores 515 5th/29 494

Mathematics scores 502 16th/29

500

Science scores 505 13th/29

500

Source: PISA, 2003

10% children absent from school from primary school for 20 days or more

STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD Children’s Social, Emotional and Children’s Social, Emotional and Behavioural OutcomesBehavioural Outcomes

IRELAND

RANK ESPAD AVERAGE

% reporting binge drinking at age 15 years

57 3rd/33

40

% reporting illicit drug use at age 15 years

40 3rd/36

22

Source: ESPAD, 2003

STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD Children’s Social, Emotional and Children’s Social, Emotional and Behavioural OutcomesBehavioural Outcomes

IRELAND

RANK OECD AVERAGE

% reporting being physically active at least 4 hours per week (11, 13, 15 years)

50.7 2nd/35 36.7

% reporting daily smoking (aged 11, 13, 15 years)

6.7% 25th/35

7.4

Source: HBSC, 2002

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD Formal and Informal Formal and Informal SupportSupport

22.4% of children under 18 at risk of poverty (2004)

17,517 children 7-17 years referred to Garda Juvenile Liaison Programme (2005)

5,060 children and young people in the care of the Health Services Executive (2004)

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILDCHILDKey ConsiderationsKey Considerations

Indicators need to be available over time;

International comparisons are needed; Information on subgroups is needed; Information on local services is

needed; Regional-specific data are crucial; and A high level of disaggregation is

needed.

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSIndicators need to be available over Indicators need to be available over timetime

Decrease in infant mortality rate:4.8 per 1,000 in 2004 6.3 per 1,000 in 2000

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSInternational Comparisons are neededInternational Comparisons are needed

Eg: infant mortality rate:

Ireland:4.8 per 1,000 in 2004 6.3 per 1,000 in 2000

Sweden:3.1 per 1,000 in 2004

EU-25:4.0 per 1,000 in 2004

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSInformation on sub-groups is neededInformation on sub-groups is needed

Eg: SIDS infant mortality rate:

Irish children:0.7 per 1,000 in 2002

Traveller children:8.8 per 1,000 in 2002

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSInformation on services in neededInformation on services in needed

22,335 households with children needing social housing. This represents a decrease of 24% since 2002 (2005)

17,517 children 7-17 years referred to Garda Juvenile Liaison Programme (20% as a result of alcohol related offences) (2005)

In April 2006, 1,761 children were known to be on a hospital waiting list for treatment. 40% of these children were on the hospital waiting list for 3-6 months and 26% for one year or more.

WELL-BEING INDICATORSWELL-BEING INDICATORSRegional-specific data are crucialRegional-specific data are crucial

Public health nursing home visit within 48 hours for newborn babies ranged from 59% in ERHA to 95.5% in WHB (2004 data)

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILD CHILD

NEXT STEPS

STATE OF THE NATIONS STATE OF THE NATIONS CHILDCHILDNext StepsNext Steps

State of the Nations Child Report 2008

Investment in new, and improvement of existing data sources

National Data Strategy for Children

Office of the Minister for ChildrenDepartment of Health and Children

Hawkins HouseDublin 2

Phone: (01) 635 4000Anne-Marie.Brooks@health.gov.ie

State of the Nations Child Report 2006can be downloaded from:

www.omc.gov.ie