This report was a collaboration between the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, supported by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

In October and November 2018, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children (Oranga Tamariki) asked for the views of children and young people on what wellbeing means to them. Their views were sought in order to inform the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy (the Strategy), which is designed to drive government action on child wellbeing. The Children’s Act 2014, which underpins the development of the Strategy, includes an obligation to consult with children and young people. This is also in line with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that children and young people have the right to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

Children and young people have valuable ideas. Their views can inform not only the Strategy but also inform practitioners and communities who want to make a difference for children and young people.

An online survey was completed by 5,631 children and young people and 423 children and young people were spoken with face to face, through a series of focus groups, one on one and paired interviews. The survey, interviews and focus groups all asked for children and young people’s views on having a good life. The face to face conversations explored in more depth what it means to have a good life, what gets in the way and what helps. All were asked what they thought would make things better for children and young people now, and for their future.

The survey reached a diverse group of children and young people across New Zealand, with a mix of urban/rural, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and age characteristics. We targeted our face to face conversations to ensure we heard from those we knew would be more likely to be experiencing challenges in their lives. These included children and young people living in poverty, living in state care, with a disability, from rural and isolated areas, aged under three years, with refugee backgrounds, who identify as LGBTIQ+, who are recent migrants, or who have received a mental health diagnosis. The majority of children and young people we spoke to in focus groups and interviews were Māori.

This report provides a broad overview of what children and young people told us. It encompasses the views of all children and young people we heard from. (From At a glance). Record #6187