Children and young people

Our work in this field includes several studies examining the economic impact of early intervention and investment in children and young people’s services. We have also conducted area-based evaluations in disadvantaged communities and studies of specific groups, such as children in the care system or homeless young people. This has included work with clients such as Barnardos, Focus Ireland, Youth Work Ireland and Body and Soul.

Children and young people
Toddler
Breaking Point: An analysis of the impact of budget cuts on children's services in Ireland

In March 2019, Barnardos commissioned Just Economics to undertake research on the impact of the current funding environment on their services. This report formed the basis of Barnardos 2020 budget submission. It describes how a constrained funding environment is rapidly becoming unsustainable for organisations working with children and families. It sets out the costs to society of historic underinvestment and the impact this had on societal outcomes such as health, crime, well-being. An index of these outcomes shows how Ireland is second from the bottom in a sample of European economies.  The report sets out a series of recommendations to strengthen Barnardos sustainablity and, in turn, their ability to meet needs within their communities. 

Who we work with

  • Client Logo The Scottish Government
  • Client Logo British Telecoms
  • Client Logo Ucd
  • Client Logo Microsoft
  • Client Logo Cabinet Office
  • Client Logo Amnestry International
  • Client Logo University Of Maynooth
  • Client Logo Focus Ireland
  • Client Logo Womens Budget Group
  • Client Logo Iied
  • Oecd
  • Finnfund
  • Cmf2
  • Taoiseach Office
Cereal
Corn Fakes: The social and economic costs of the removal of micronutrients from Kellogg’s cereals

Since 2013, there is evidence that Kellogg's has been removing key mirconutrients from its breakfast cereals in Mexico. This report makes an economic assessment of the savings to Kelloggs and compares this to the cost to the health, well-being and development of Mexican society. It estimates that Kellogg’s saved $85 million USD over five years from this practice, whilst the minimum cumulative social cost to Mexico for the removal of just three key nutrients will be $250 million USD over five years. This means for every dollar that Kellogg’s saves by de-fortifying cereals it destroys at least three dollars in value to Mexican consumers. The report discusses the implications of this for Mexican society.

Mimi Thian 737012 Unsplash
Microsoft YouthSpark Evaluation

YouthSpark is a flagship programme of Microsoft Philanthropies that aims to enable young people around the world to learn digital and computer science skills. Just Economics was commissioned to evaluate the extent to which YouthSpark is achieving its mission and objectives. Using qualitative methods, over 100 stakeholders were engaged and site visits were conducted in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. The evaluation was commissioned to feed into Microsoft's strategic planning process and to inform its future strategy for YouthSpark. 

Children and young people, Education, employment and economic development, Health and well-being
Kids
Youth Work Ireland: exploring the impact of integrated youth work

Youth Work Ireland (YWI) is the largest youth organization in Ireland. YWI uses an innovative Integrated Youth Service Model with the aim of ensuring that young people receive a high quality, efficient and effective service that treats them as a ‘whole person’. Just Economics was commissioned by YWI to assess the evidence for both integrated youth work in general and the YWI Integrated Youth Service Model specifically. The study will be published in 2019.