3 | The Child Rights Impact Assessment tool Stage 4: Analysis of impacts and mitigating factors 12. What measures or safeguards are included in the policy/legislation to mitigate negative impacts or to advance positive impacts on the rights of children? 13. Are there specific measures or safeguards included in the policy/legislation to address impacts on specific groups of children who may be more adversely affected? If yes, explain. Stage 4 explores how the potential impacts discussed in Stage 3 will influence the policy/ legislation process, and whether considerations need to be implemented in order to mitigate negative impacts or strengthen positive impacts. Assessors should consider how specific groups of children are impacted. Consideration should be taken to recognise how both positive impacts can be sustained in the future, and negative impacts can be alleviated. Negative impacts or limitations on rights may be permissible if it can be demonstrated that the policy/legislation is reasonable, necessary, and proportionate. In this section, if this applies, it will be important for the assessor to include evidence-based information as to what safeguards in the policy/legislation are in place to protect children’s rights, and justification of how the limitation is required. For example, policy and legislation pertaining to the COVID-19 school and early childhood centre closures limited children’s right to education. This limitation was considered as permissible as the policy and legislation protected children’s right to health in an emergency event. Safeguards such as remote learning, the national rollout of telehealth and increased financial assistance to parents/families were provided by governments to reduce other negative pressures on children’s lives. Safeguarding Children: Using a child rights impact assessment to improve our laws and policies | 23