Jane Hutt launching the document in Caerphilly on Friday

Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt is launching an exercise to set Wales-wide standards in all children's services.

Consultation on the document will run until January 2005.

Ms Hutt said: "Too often children have had to fit in with services that were available rather than services being tailored to the needs of children."

The National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services sets 21 standards which aim to ensure that children and young people get the same quality of health, social care, education and transport services wherever they live in Wales.

It aims to reduce regional variations in services and covers children up to their 18th birthday.

However, there is currently no guarantee of funding for the scheme's proposals.

We want to make certain there is an advocate for children in every area Dr Huw Jenkins

Ms Hutt said: "The standards are not just for the NHS in Wales.

"They include social care and other local authority services such as education, housing, leisure and transport.

"The standards will ensure that children and their families are placed at the heart of all service-planning, with services delivered to meet their needs.

"That should be the aspiration of all organisations.

Children's Commissioner Peter Clarke said it would mean 'long hard work'

"This approach is designed to achieve maximum impact on the health and well being of children and their families.

"I am determined that we should make the most of our most precious resource in Wales - our children."

The consultation was launched by Ms Hutt in Caerphilly, south Wales, on Friday.

Dr Huw Jenkins, the director of healthcare services for children and young people in Wales, oversaw the production of the consultation document.

I don't see anything wrong with being ambitious for our children Peter Clarke

He said his team had tried to make it relevant to children and young families.

"If what is in this document comes to fruition, the services for young people will improve immeasurably," he said.

"There are 201 key actions - about 30% are core actions, which are relatively low-cost and quick wins.

He said one of these actions would be to ensure there is a non-executive board member with responsibility for children in every local health board.

"We want to make certain there is an advocate for children in every area," he said.

Peter Clarke, the Children's Commissioner for Wales, welcomed the document, although he said he was concerned about the lack of ring-fenced funding for it.

"But I don't see anything wrong with being ambitious for our children," he said.