The Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) was established to lead the effort to improve the lives of children and young people in Ireland. Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, 2014-20201 , published in April 2014, sets out the Government’s agenda and priorities in relation to children and young people under the age of 25 and provides the overarching framework for the development and implementation of policy and services.

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures has adopted an outcomes approach and is based on five interconnected and reinforcing national outcomes for children and young people. The importance of children and young people having a voice in decisions that affect their lives is integral to all five outcome areas.