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The C-WELLBY: Towards a Universal Measure of Children's Wellbeing for Policy Analysis

Isaac Parkes

CEP Occasional Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: There is a pressing need for a universal measure of children's wellbeing, parallel to the WELLBY, for use in cost-benefit analysis. Currently, there is no consensus on how to value the wellbeing of children, raising concerns that their welfare is being undervalued in policy decisions. In this report, we discuss the issues inherent in measuring children's wellbeing and investigate a policy-oriented solution: the C-WELLBY. Children aged 10 and above generally demonstrate stable, valid responses to evaluative life satisfaction questions, as evidenced by analyses of both Understanding Society and the Active Lives of Children and Young People Survey. Consequently, we recommend the use of WELLBYs, valued at the usual £15,920 in 2024 prices (HMT, 2021), for cost-benefit analyses of policy affecting this age group. For children aged below 10, we recommend estimating a C-WELLBY, also valued at £15,920.

Keywords: Wellbeing; Value for Money; VfM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-04-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hap
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