b'OUR VISION IS BIGbut we start small. We change the lives of all children in Ireland byEach section is graded from A-F in the style of a school report card. making sure that their rights are respected and protected in our laws,In its sixth year, the Report Card launch is now a much anticipated policies and services. We dont believe in band aid solutions. Wenational event with the media and political stakeholders interested dont just treat the symptoms. We focus on delivering real systematicin seeing how well the Government is doing for children. Govern-changes that will help all children. Over 100 member organizationsment Departments, in particular, take the Report Card very seriously. working with children come under our umbrella as a united voice In fact they even review the Report Card before we make it public.advocating for Irelands young people. The Childrens Rights Alliance will be 20 years old in 2015. Ourbiggestachievementtodatehasbeensecuringa Despite our record of success, we still have a long way to go. Today referendumandhelpingtoleadasuccessfulnationalcampaign one in nine children experience poverty; mortality rates for infant in2012tochangetheIrishConstitutionforchildren.We Travellers (our indigenous nomadic population) is nearly four times wereinstrumentalinsupportingtheGovernmenttoestablishan higherthanthesettledpopulationandchildrenwithdisabilitiesOmbudsman for Children and attaining an end to the detention of 16experience huge difficulties in accessing education.and 17 year old boys in unsafe adult prisons.However,wearefortunatethattherearesomanyWe have secured these changes by identifying problems opportunities ahead to make childrens lives better. Ireland will be for children and developing solutions. We educate and provide infor- examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on itsmation on childrens rights. We essentially encourage Governmentrecord for children. We will be consulting nationally in preparation and our parliamentarians to put children first.and will submit a major report for the UN. In the year that IrelandOur Annual Report Card is our tool for identifying seriouscelebrates 100 years since the 1916 Rising affirming our indepen-issues for children and establishing how the Government is deliver- dence, we will be asking if we cherished all children of the nation ing on its own promises to children flowing from the Program forequally. We promised to on the steps of our General Post Office Government. Each year, the Childrens Rights Alliancesupported(GPO) when the proclamation was read out by Irish revolutionaries.byapanelofindependentexpertsevaluatestheGovernments We will be asking and answering that question in 2016.commitmentsintheareaofeducation,health,socialsupports,protection from abuse and neglect and freedom from discrimination. connect2015 | 23'