To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the work-in-progress to develop a new strategy for Children and Young People, post 2016.

A public consultation in January 2014 on Delivering Social Change for Children and Young People considered proposals to bring together the Executive’s work to deliver on the Children and Young People’s Strategy, improve compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and to deliver on its commitments under the Child Poverty Act.

Following feedback from the consultation, we took the decision to develop a separate Child Poverty Strategy 2014-2017 (in accordance with the Child Poverty Act 2010), and to engage further with stakeholders and Departments in the development of a new strategy to replace the current Strategy for Children and Young People when it ends in 2016.

The process to develop the new strategy is underway. This has included an internal review of the existing strategy; identification of all relevant stakeholders; and preliminary engagement with sector representatives to discuss the role of children and young people within our society. As a result of the engagement to date a number of key issues have emerged that will support more extensive consultation. It is our intention that the new strategy will be designed and developed in co-operation with children and young people; parents and representative community and voluntary organisations.