The core function of our Department is to put in place a unified framework for policy, legislation and service provision across Government for children and young people.

In doing this, we focus on harmonising policy issues that affect children and young people in areas such as early childhood care and education, youth justice, children in care, child welfare and protection, adoption, family support, children and young people’s participation, research on children and young people, youth work and cross-cutting initiatives for children. The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020 – Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – provides the context for our own work as well as the agenda for our leadership of effort to improve outcomes for children and young people.