Childwatch links local, regional and national research efforts to an international research based knowledge, practice and policy on children’s issues. It seeks a more effective and strategic approach to child research globally. Childwatch has unique potential to harness the collective capacity of international child researchers to identify and investigate major questions of global significance in the lives of children.
The Network focuses on critical issues in the lives of children and youth, and their families. It seeks to encourage multi-disciplinary research, policy development and training that promote the well being, rights, civic and social participation and the full development of children. Childwatch values research about effective and appropriate practices to achieve these goals and research that describes the current condition of children and youth.
The core of Childwatch International is the Key Institutions, which conduct research on children's rights from various angles. The directing body of the network is the Board, which shall give advice on the network's overall policy and long term strategies for its implementation. The Secretariat is an executive, supportive body, headed by one or two Key Member Institutions and is currently located at CINDE (International Centre for Education and Human Development) in Bogotá, Colombia. The Business Committee supervises the administrative and financial matters of Childwatch International, and thus provides important support to the Secretariat.
The network is guided by the principles in the Aims and Ethos and Strategic plan, and in the documents Governance and Funding and their corresponding by-laws.