Atlantic believes that every child has a right to education, health, safety and a comprehensive set of services to help them reach their full potential. However, significant disparities exist in the opportunities and support systems available to children and early investment is undervalued.
The overarching goal of Atlantic’s Children & Youth Programme is to address these disparities by creating an enduring capacity to support and advocate for children and youth, particularly those who are disadvantaged on the basis of income, race, gender or sexual orientation.
To this end, the Children & Youth Programme seeks to create and support a network of organisations with an enhanced ability to advocate for children, while also delivering specific programme and policy reforms in the short run that will improve the lives of those children and youth who are most in need. The Children & Youth Programme is active in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the United States. To support this strategic vision and advance the interests of children, the Children & Youth Programme invests in systemic but focused efforts in each country in which it is active to:
- Build capacity of organisations at the local, regional and national levels
- Strengthen leadership, build networks, unite organisations across issues and regions, and encourage community engagement on behalf of the most vulnerable children
- Engage the youth advocacy field, including youth, parents and communities, to advance concrete policy changes.
