The dashboard is built in line with the OECD's Child Well-being Measurement Framework as set out in the OECD's 2021 report Measuring What Matters for Child Well-being and Policies. Consistent with the framework, the dashboard takes a multi-dimensional and forward‑looking approach to child well-being, centred on the idea that children should be able to both enjoy a “good” positive childhood in the here and now, and have the opportunity to develop skills and abilities that set them up well for the future.
Reflecting the importance of children's relationships and setting and environments for their well-being, the dashboard adopts a multi‑level structure, covering both children's well‑being outcomes and potential drivers and influences of their outcomes. Children's well-being outcomes are measured using 20 key comparative indicators in four core areas: their material outcomes; their physical health outcomes; their cognitive and educational outcomes; and their social and emotional outcomes. Potential drivers are captured through 18 indicators spread across four areas: children's home and family life, their life at school and in early childhood education and care, their social lives and life in the community, and the lives online.
The dashboard also contains 18 indicators on key child-relevant public policies, including family policies, housing and community policies, and education and early childhood education and care policies.
Indicators have been selected for their conceptual relevance and their importance for children’s well-being both now and in the future. While the dashboard looks to cover the well-being of children of all ages, limitations in data availability mean that most indicators focus on those in middle childhood and adolescence.