The Participation Network, which is funded by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, will provide training and consultancy to public bodies and access to organisations with expertise in children's participation.
Paula Keenan, chair of the Participation Network, said it wanted to encourage public bodies to go beyond traditional forms of consultation. "We want statutory agencies to involve children and young people at the start of the development of legislation, policies and strategies," she said.
The network, launched yesterday (25 September), will also demonstrate how the Northern Ireland Executive can involve very young children in decision-making. It will be based in Children in Northern Ireland, which represents the province's voluntary and statutory children's agencies. Members of the network include the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, YouthNet, Save the Children and the Department for Education.
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