The Welsh Assembly Government has published its first Children and Young People’s Well-being Monitor, which brings together research and statistical data on the well-being of young people aged 0-18 in Wales.

It is based on themes taken from the Assembly Government’s seven core aims for children and young people which are underpinned by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These themes are:

• early years
• health
• education
• access to play, sport, leisure and culture
• rights and entitlements
• safe home and community
• ensuring no child or young person is disadvantaged by poverty

The Monitor also reports on progress against the Welsh Assembly Government’s child poverty targets.

Key findings include:

• Some 29% of children in Wales live in poor households (around 180,000 children), after housing costs;
• The rates of income poverty for children in Wales are now much closer to the average for the UK as whole, whereas they used to be markedly higher;
• Most young people report being involved in decisions that affect them at home and most say that it is easy to talk to either of their parents;
• The number of children killed or injured on the roads in Wales has been falling in recent years.

The full report and an executive summary can be downloaded from the Welsh Assembly Government website.