Young Lives

Young Lives is an innovative long-term international research project investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty. The project seeks to:

• improve understanding of the causes and consequences of childhood poverty and to examine how policies affect children’s well-being
• inform the development and implementation of future policies and practices that will reduce childhood poverty
  

Young Lives is tracking the development of 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam through quantitative and qualitative research over a 15-year period. Since 2002, Young Lives have been following two groups of children:

• 2000 children in each country who were aged between 6 months and 17 months in 2002
• 1000 children in each country aged between 7.5 years old and 8.5 years old in 2002.
  

The project is unique in that it is engaging in policy influencing work both in the study countries and internationally and directly links evidence-based research to policymakers and planners. The research results, therefore, are being used to make a difference to the quality of children's lives.