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• The Alliance Party is committed to human rights, equality of citizenship and social justice.

• Children and Family Issues policy must implement that commitment.

• We owe it to our children to produce a society where they can live in peace and harmony.

• Alliance is committed to meeting the needs of our children, the future of our country.

• General principles

1. The Alliance Party has adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as policy. It has three main themes: the protection of the child; the provision of services; and participation by the child.

2. Alliance wants a culture where children are loved, respected, well provided for and valued.

3. Alliance believes that citizenship should begin at birth.

4. Alliance believes that in all legislation and public policy affecting children, the welfare of the child should be paramount.

5. Alliance believes that the wishes, needs and rights of the child should always be considered. Children should be encouraged to express their views and should be listened to.

6. Alliance believes that children have a right to protection from poverty, discrimination, violence, abuse and exploitation.

7. Alliance believes that children are the joint responsibility of the family and the state. Both parents should take responsibility for the upbringing of their children. Parents should be given support and encouragement to carry out those responsibilities.

8. Alliance insists on the right of children to be protected from sectarianism and segregation.

9. Alliance believes that the state must ensure that there are appropriate structures so that children's needs are fully understood and met (e.g. a Minister for Children and an independent Children's Commissioner).

1. In 1995 the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child criticised the UK government for a lack of information provided on the difficulties encountered by children in Northern Ireland as a result of years of violence. The UN criticised the lack of action on the high levels of poverty, the high rate of teenage pregnancies and discrimination against lone parents, Travellers and ethnic minorities. In 2000 these issues and their impact on children are still to be addressed.

2. Northern Ireland has the highest birth rate in the European Union. A third of our population is under 18. Lone parents head 25% of family households. Thirty-seven percent of our children are classed as living in poverty; children grow up with chronic ill health, low educational achievement, poor employment prospects and low self-esteem. There is urgent need to break the cycle of deprivation.

3. There are unacceptable levels of child abuse and neglect.

4. Childcare provision here is the lowest in the UK. The gap between wages at the top of the scale and at the bottom has widened. Low wages, part-time—often temporary—work and lack of affordable childcare keep many families in poverty.

3. Children and the family

1. Alliance supports Child Benefit as a non-taxable, non-means tested benefit that acknowledges the cost of child rearing.

2. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts ` the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development.' A child should experience a standard of living that allows him/her to participate fully in the society in which they are growing up. Childhood poverty implies exclusion from mainstream society. Alliance welcomed Working Families Tax Credit as an improvement on Family Credit, but the level of all benefits must ensure that children grow up free from poverty and share in the general rise in the standard of living.

3. Alliance believes that all children should have the opportunity of one year's pre-school education. Integrated nursery schools should be the norm.

4. Alliance believes that preparation for parenthood and family life should be part of the National Curriculum. Mothers are still the main child-carers, although many are in paid employment. Parenting programmes in school for boys and girls should encourage both sexes to share the tasks more equitably. Educational programmes should aim to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. Young mothers must be helped to continue their education. Employers must be encouraged to give fathers time off work to attend to their children's needs. Parental leave legislation must allow parents to claim benefit for days of unpaid leave.

5. Alliance believes that all parents considering separation should have access to mediation services. Children must be considered, consulted, listened to and supported in situations of family breakdown. Contact centres where absent parents can meet regularly with their children must be provided. Maintenance payments from absent parents should result in their children being better off. The Child Support Agency must become more efficient and family-friendly.

6. Play is essential for physical, intellectual and emotional development. Resources allocated to children's play are a tenth of that spent on adult leisure, although 25% of our population is under 16. Planning services must ensure that developers provide adequate formal and informal play areas. Adequate resources must be made available to ensure the safety of children at play.

4. Children and Health & Social Services

1. Health Services have not always focused on the needs of children and young people; there is fragmentation between services provided by Social Services, Health and Education; greater integration is essential. Clear ring fencing of money for children's services is essential.

2. Alliance campaigned for the retention on the Regional Neo-Natal unit at the Royal Maternity Hospital in close proximity to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, as advocated by paediatricians.

3. The Children Order (NI) gave Social Services a statutory duty to provide services for children “in need”; this includes children with disabilities. Northern Ireland has the highest rate of child disability in the UK. Alliance calls for sufficient resources to be made available to provide “Care in the Community” for children with special needs. Children with disabilities must be enabled to meet their potential, in mainstream schooling, where possible.

4. Special provisions are needed to meet the needs of children affected by years of violence and for those living in deprived areas in order to break the cycle of deprivation. Alliance pressed for the full £15 million allocated to Sure Start to be ring-fenced for that project. New Opportunities Lottery funding for after-school care was not matched by government funding to provide resources and infrastructure. Sustainability for good existing projects is essential.

5. Health promotion campaigns should use peer educators to help to deal with problems of illegal drugs, glue-sniffing, smoking and under-age alcohol abuse. Drug dealers must be brought to court.

6. High suicides rates among young people must be addressed by improving young people's self-esteem and involvement in their communities.

5. Children and equality

1. Alliance is pressing for Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to be used to ensure that there is respect for the diversity of all our children whatever their cultural, ethnic, racial or religious background.

2. Young people from ethnic minorities often feel isolated and disadvantaged; they would welcome appreciation of their cultures (e.g. to be able to sit GCSEs in Urdu). Alliance calls for resources to be provided to enable them both to appreciate their own cultures and to integrate with society as a whole.

3. Travellers have been recognised as a distinct ethnic group. Fifty percent of Travellers are under 15; many have serious health and education problems. Alliance campaigned for the NI Housing Executive to be given the strategic role in providing accommodation for Travellers, rather than District Councils, which have failed lamentably. Urgent implementation is essential.

6. Children and the law

1. The Maastrict Treaty did not mention children. All EU legislation must be subjected to child impact studies; for example, freedom of movement throughout the European community can pose problems to do with adoption, child custody and sexual exploitation. Alliance supports a European Children's Charter.

2. Families should be helped to resolve their legal problems in an informal atmosphere at an early stage. The best solution for the child should be found in a non-adversarial setting, Informal courts to deal with problems of divorce, separation, children in care, child protection and school attendance should be held well away from adult courts.

3. Alliance believes that the age of criminal responsibility must be raised over the present age of 10, as recommended by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

4. Alliance supported the establishment of the Children's Law Centre; the Children Order provided a unified code of civil legislation for children; there is also new legislation on education, race, disability etc. Children, parents and professionals need access to information and impartial advice. The Children's Law Centre Young People's Group aims to make sure that children are listened to and taken seriously. Children who have been in care are particularly disadvantaged.

5. Alliance supports the NSPCC Full Stop campaign to end neglect, cruelty and abuse perpetrated on children.

6. PAFT (Policy Appraisal and Fair Treatment) and Child Impact Studies must be applied to all legislation. Children are affected by planning, environmental, transport, consumer and political development measures as well as by health, education and family issues. Targeting Social Need and Social Inclusion programmes must give priority to children. The government's “Children First” document focused on getting mothers into paid employment rather than on children's needs. Working Families Tax Credit has made child care costs more reasonable but only for parents using registered child-minders.

7. Alliance campaigned for a Minister for Children in the Assembly.

8. Alliance has supported the campaign for an independent Children's Rights Commissioner.

9. Alliance encourages cross-community and cross-border initiatives involving young people.

10. As a party committed to the European Union, Alliance encourages young people to work and study in other EU countries to broaden their outlook.

11. Alliance believes that no child under the age of 18 should be recruited into armed forces. Alliance supports the campaign to abolish child soldiers and calls on the UK government to endorse the UN resolution.

12. The enthusiasm and idealism of our young people must be encouraged by giving recognition to those who do voluntary work at home and overseas.

13. Our children have been born and brought up during the “Troubles”. Many have suffered themselves and witnessed traumatising events. Rehabilitation schemes must be expanded and adequately funded.

ACTIVE HEALTH

Policy Paper: Health

Draft: 22 October 2002

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CHILDREN AND FAMILY ISSUES

4 March 2000

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