A major study aimed at identifying the factors that affect the wellbeing of Irish children will get under way in November, it was announced yesterday.
Some 18,000 children, including 10,000 infants, will be recruited to participate in the study, which will span an initial seven-year period.
The intention is to identify factors that contribute to and undermine the wellbeing of children in contemporary Irish families. The data will be used in the development of policies and services for children.
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Séamus Brennan and Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan yesterday announced that a team led by the Economic and Social Research Institute and Trinity College Dublin has been identified as the preferred bidder to undertake the National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland.
The decision follows a negotiated tendering process that began in December 2004. The evaluation committee for the tender was chaired by the National Children's Office (NCO), assisted by international experts in child research.
The study will be funded by the NCO and the Department for Social and Family Affairs.
