September 22, 2026 - 213 views
The Welsh Government says it wants to put children’s rights at the centre of its plans for Wales, three years after the United Nations raised concerns about issues including poverty, health, education and mental health.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality Sioned Williams says the new Welsh Government will focus on making children’s rights something that is experienced in everyday life, rather than simply a set of principles.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published its latest assessment of the UK in June 2023. It called for stronger action on a range of issues affecting children, including poverty, discrimination, mental health and inequalities in education and access to services.
One of the Welsh Government’s main priorities is a planned expansion of funded childcare. The aim is eventually to provide 20 hours a week for 48 weeks of the year for every child aged between nine months and four years.
The scheme is being introduced in stages. All 22 Welsh local authorities are currently expected to offer 12.5 hours of funded childcare a week to all two-year-olds by the end of March 2027.
The Welsh Government has also committed an additional £55 million this year to help expand childcare provision, with further work planned to extend the offer to younger children and increase the number of funded hours.
Tackling child poverty is another central part of the plans. Ministers say a new Child Poverty Strategy will include clear targets and measurable outcomes, while work is continuing on the proposed Cynnal Welsh Child Payment.
Free school meals are also being extended to more secondary school pupils in households receiving Universal Credit.
Education is another area highlighted by the Deputy First Minister. A new Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan, published earlier this month, sets out measures to improve standards and provide clearer expectations around what children should learn and when. It includes plans for stronger support for reading, writing and numeracy, as well as a national approach to identifying children who may need additional help.
The Welsh Government says it also wants to reduce health inequalities affecting children and improve access to early intervention and preventative services.
It plans to invest in reducing NHS waiting times and developing new surgical and diagnostic hubs, while work is continuing with the National Strategic Clinical Network for Child Health on areas including paediatric waiting times.
Mental health is another priority, with the Welsh Government aiming to move towards same-day access to mental health support. Its wider mental health approach is based on providing support at the point it is needed and reducing unnecessary waits.
The UN Committee specifically identified mental health as one of the areas requiring urgent action in its 2023 assessment of the UK.
The Welsh Government says its approach will involve departments working together on issues including poverty, education, health and wellbeing.
The Deputy First Minister says the aim is to ensure every child in Wales can grow up healthy, supported and able to reach their full potential, with children’s rights reflected in decisions affecting their everyday lives.
