Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care
On 18 May we will celebrate National Children’s Day, an opportunity for us to reflect on and highlight the work we do in Wales to support children to access their rights.
In December, I updated Senedd Members on our approach to raising awareness of children's rights. I want to take the opportunity today to highlight the value of engaging with children across Wales to enrich and inform our policies.
Our commitment to children’s rights is enshrined in law through the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011—the first of its kind in the UK.
Welsh Ministers are passionate about strengthening opportunities for children to have their voices heard. When decisions are made about children, they should be made with them. Children are the experts in their own lives. Their insights help us shape better, more responsive policies.
All Welsh Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers have made a commitment to meeting with and discussing their policies with children on at least an annual basis - with each of us benefitting from discussions with children on the issues that matter to them, influencing the policy choices we make.
On an annual basis we attend events such as the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod which provide opportunities for children to speak directly with Ministers and get a broad spectrum of views on a range of subjects.
In November, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs joined 320 pupils at the Youth COP 2024 to discuss pressing climate issues including the impact of food choices, the importance of minimising food waste and prioritising sustainability. There is a wonderful video of the day, created by Size of Wales, that you can watch here (external link).
In February, I attended a residential meeting of Young Wales, giving me an opportunity to discuss with them first hand their views on how they can participate in policy development. They gave me a valuable insight into the barriers some young people face to participating and the work Government can do to make sure all children have the opportunity to have their voices heard. Since then, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Trefyndd and Chief Whip and the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing have also been working with members of Young Wales to deep dive into mental health, social justice, and LQBTQ+ equality issues.
Our annual Care Summit brings young people with experience of living in care and Welsh Government Ministers together. Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to hear their views on progress in delivering the vision for the transformation of children’s social care. Using their feedback, we will review the Radical Reform Declaration and make any updates required.
These are in addition to the regular and ongoing dialogue we have with children. We regularly visit schools, youth clubs and places where children are, to actively listen and learn. Children have been influential in shaping laws on single use plastics, most recently on single use vapes, in developing the NYTH/NEST framework that addresses mental health, and in developing resources that raise awareness of our budget improvement work.
Children have contributed to research on what quality in food in school means, what good learner travel feels like, and how INSET days should work. They have told us what quality childcare is like for them and influenced our National Minimum Standards as a result. Children with additional learning needs have helped us to understand their experiences of the education system, contributing to our evaluation and scrutiny processes.
We want a Wales for all Children where they can exercise their right to have their say in decisions that affect them and their voice is respected, valued and heard. We look forward to building on this work in the year ahead, ensuring that children remain at the heart of everything we do.