Impact assessments are used within governmental policymaking and regulatory processes to provide a systematic analysis of potential impacts of public decisions. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments use a range of impact assessment lenses including gender, environment, privacy, official languages, health and equity. These processes typically do not support specific consideration of impacts on children and youth under age 18. Child Rights Impact Assessment is a child-sensitive process for governments to consider how children might be differently affected (including impacts related to privacy, health, gender and equity) as they develop laws, policies, budgets, regulations and other decisions. It signals that children and youth are also a priority for governments. Using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework to understand potential impacts across the conditions for child well-being supports the comprehensiveness and quality of the assessment.

This Child Policy Lens is designed as a “cue card” with 12 questions elected officials can ask to evaluate policies through the lens of their impact on children and youth.