This report has been published biennially since 2006 and annually since last year and is prepared by the Research and Evaluation Unit in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).
SONC provides the most up-to-date data on the National Set of Child Wellbeing indicators, and:
SONC is widely used as a resource by policy makers, the research community and civil society, and aims to inform government policy on children, young people and families. The SONC reports are useful for tacking trends in relation to children’s wellbeing, they provide data that shows us where more work needs to be done and presents us with evidence of where progress is being made.
Some of the key findings in the report include:
Welcoming the report, the Minister said:
“I am delighted to publish the 2021 edition of the State of the Nation’s Children report. The report compiles comprehensive up-to-date data on children’s wellbeing in an easily accessible format and is a valuable resource to policymakers, civil society, researchers, services, schools and colleges, parents and families, communities and indeed anyone interested in learning more about how children are faring in Ireland today. It provides us with the evidence base to consider how we can build on and improve better wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.”