At Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), everything we do is grounded in a clear commitment – to improve the lives of children, young people and families across Northern Ireland.
Our new Strategic Plan for 2026–2031 sets out how we will turn lived experience into system change – using insight, evidence and collective voice to influence the decisions that shape children’s lives.
This is a focused and ambitious roadmap for how we will strengthen our impact, support our members, and respond to the increasingly complex challenges facing the sector.
Why This Strategy Matters Now
Children, young people and families across Northern Ireland are facing significant and growing pressures.
Rising mental health need, increasing inequality, long waiting lists, challenges within education and health systems, and the rapid pace of technological change are all shaping the environment in which children grow up. At the same time, organisations supporting them are working within constrained resources and rising demand.
In this context, the need for a strong, connected and influential children’s sector has never been greater, and CiNI’s role as a convenor, advocate and sector leader has never been more important.
A Strategy Shaped by People and Evidence
This strategy has been developed through extensive engagement with children and young people, parents, members, staff, Board and partners.
It reflects lived experience, frontline insight and a shared ambition to build a stronger, more connected and more influential sector – rounded in evidence – to ensure our priorities focus on where we can make the greatest difference.
Our Vision and Mission
Our vision is that children, young people and families are supported, listened to, treated fairly and live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Our mission is to amplify their voices, champion and build the capacity of the organisations who support them, and bring about meaningful change.
Guided by children’s rights and our core values, we will remain independent but not neutral – challenging inequality and ensuring that the wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of public decision-making.
Our Focus for the Next Five Years
To deliver on this vision, we will focus on five interconnected priorities:
Empowering children, young people and families
We will strengthen participation and ensure lived experience is central to our work and to wider policy and practice. Through services such as Parentline and our wider programmes, we will continue to provide accessible, high-quality support while identifying gaps and reaching those who need us most.
Building capacity across the sector
We will act as a central hub for the children’s sector, providing training, tools, resources and support that strengthen organisations and improve outcomes for children and young people.
Advocacy and systems change
We will use evidence, research and lived experience to influence policy, practice and legislation, ensuring that the voices of children, young people and families are heard and acted upon.
Collaboration and communication
We will bring organisations together, strengthen partnerships, and promote the work of our members, supporting a more connected, visible and impactful sector.
Sustainability and growth
We will invest in our organisational resilience, workforce and systems, ensuring we have the capacity and sustainability to deliver on our ambitions.
From Insight to Action
A key focus of this strategy is strengthening how we use data and insight to drive change.
Through our Parentline service, our direct work with children and young people and through the experiences of our members, we are uniquely positioned to understand the real and emerging needs of children, young people and families – including where demand is highest, where gaps exist, and who is not accessing support.
By improving how we capture and use this information, we will be better equipped to:
- Target support more effectively
- Inform service development
- Strengthen our advocacy
- Contribute to more coordinated, place-based responses
This is about ensuring that lived experience and evidence do not sit in reports — but actively shape decisions, policy and practice.
A Collective Effort
This strategy is not just about CiNI – it is about the collective strength of our membership.
Across Northern Ireland, organisations are working every day to support children, young people and families. By strengthening connections, sharing learning and working collaboratively, we can maximise our collective impact and ensure a stronger, more unified voice.
Looking Ahead
As we launch this new Strategic Plan, we do so with a clear sense of purpose.
The challenges are significant, but so too is the commitment, expertise and determination across the sector.
Read our full strategic plan here.
We look forward to working with our members, partners and stakeholders to deliver this strategy and to ensure that, together, we continue to make a meaningful difference where it matters most.
At Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), everything we do is grounded in a clear commitment – to improve the lives of children, young people and families across Northern Ireland.
Our new Strategic Plan for 2026–2031 sets out how we will turn lived experience into system change – using insight, evidence and collective voice to influence the decisions that shape children’s lives.
This is a focused and ambitious roadmap for how we will strengthen our impact, support our members, and respond to the increasingly complex challenges facing the sector.
Why This Strategy Matters Now
Children, young people and families across Northern Ireland are facing significant and growing pressures.
Rising mental health need, increasing inequality, long waiting lists, challenges within education and health systems, and the rapid pace of technological change are all shaping the environment in which children grow up. At the same time, organisations supporting them are working within constrained resources and rising demand.
In this context, the need for a strong, connected and influential children’s sector has never been greater, and CiNI’s role as a convenor, advocate and sector leader has never been more important.
A Strategy Shaped by People and Evidence
This strategy has been developed through extensive engagement with children and young people, parents, members, staff, Board and partners.
It reflects lived experience, frontline insight and a shared ambition to build a stronger, more connected and more influential sector – rounded in evidence – to ensure our priorities focus on where we can make the greatest difference.
Our Vision and Mission
Our vision is that children, young people and families are supported, listened to, treated fairly and live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Our mission is to amplify their voices, champion and build the capacity of the organisations who support them, and bring about meaningful change.
Guided by children’s rights and our core values, we will remain independent but not neutral – challenging inequality and ensuring that the wellbeing of children and young people is at the heart of public decision-making.
Our Focus for the Next Five Years
To deliver on this vision, we will focus on five interconnected priorities:
Empowering children, young people and families
We will strengthen participation and ensure lived experience is central to our work and to wider policy and practice. Through services such as Parentline and our wider programmes, we will continue to provide accessible, high-quality support while identifying gaps and reaching those who need us most.
Building capacity across the sector
We will act as a central hub for the children’s sector, providing training, tools, resources and support that strengthen organisations and improve outcomes for children and young people.
Advocacy and systems change
We will use evidence, research and lived experience to influence policy, practice and legislation, ensuring that the voices of children, young people and families are heard and acted upon.
Collaboration and communication
We will bring organisations together, strengthen partnerships, and promote the work of our members, supporting a more connected, visible and impactful sector.
Sustainability and growth
We will invest in our organisational resilience, workforce and systems, ensuring we have the capacity and sustainability to deliver on our ambitions.
From Insight to Action
A key focus of this strategy is strengthening how we use data and insight to drive change.
Through our Parentline service, our direct work with children and young people and through the experiences of our members, we are uniquely positioned to understand the real and emerging needs of children, young people and families – including where demand is highest, where gaps exist, and who is not accessing support.
By improving how we capture and use this information, we will be better equipped to:
- Target support more effectively
- Inform service development
- Strengthen our advocacy
- Contribute to more coordinated, place-based responses
This is about ensuring that lived experience and evidence do not sit in reports — but actively shape decisions, policy and practice.
A Collective Effort
This strategy is not just about CiNI – it is about the collective strength of our membership.
Across Northern Ireland, organisations are working every day to support children, young people and families. By strengthening connections, sharing learning and working collaboratively, we can maximise our collective impact and ensure a stronger, more unified voice.
Looking Ahead
As we launch this new Strategic Plan, we do so with a clear sense of purpose.
The challenges are significant, but so too is the commitment, expertise and determination across the sector.
Read our full strategic plan here.
We look forward to working with our members, partners and stakeholders to deliver this strategy and to ensure that, together, we continue to make a meaningful difference where it matters most.
