Children


One in six children have poor mental health 01/10/2021 One in six children in England struggled with their mental health in 2021 - the same number as during lockdown last year - according to new figures.
Record number of children referred to mental health services 24/09/2021 Local authority leaders have stressed the importance of investing in community-based services in order to drive improvements in children’s mental health.
Kent County Council resumes admittance of lone child migrants 13/09/2021 Kent CC announces that it will resume admitting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children into its reception centres after it stopped earlier in the year.
Rashford launches campaign to end child food poverty 06/09/2021 England International Footballer, Marcus Rashford MBE, is today launching a new campaign to end child food poverty.
Children’s happiness suffers ‘significant decline’ 26/08/2021 An estimated 300,000 children across the UK unhappy with their lives, a children’s charity has warned in its annual state-of-the-nation report.
Over a third of the most deprived areas will not benefit from Levelling Up Fund 25/08/2021 More than a third of England’s most deprived areas will not benefit from the Government’s £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, according to new Salvation Army research released today.
Calls for more funding as child abuse increases 20/08/2021 Incidents involving death or serious harm to a child have risen in the past year, leading to calls for further funding.
Ministers call for joined-up approach to tackle the causes of child vulnerability 10/08/2021 Ministers have been urged to support family services and to tackle a lack of coordination of children’s policy at the national and local levels.
Million children of key workers live in poverty, TUC reveals 14/07/2021 Over a million children of key workers are currently living in poverty, the TUC has revealed.
Council chiefs urge Government to put children at ‘heart of recovery’ 14/07/2021 Local authority leaders have called for a cross-government strategy to ensure that children and young people are at the heart of the post-pandemic recovery.
Report calls for better data on children’s well-being 01/07/2021 This most vulnerable children are often missing from existing data making it difficult to deliver effective child policies, a new report has warned.
PM told to invest more in pandemic recovery measures for children 09/06/2021 Government urged to ‘reconsider’ pandemic recovery measures for children as researchers estimate it has committed to spend only one-tenth of what is needed.
Thousands at risk of losing legal status as EUSS deadline looms 09/06/2021 A number of charities have written to the PM urging him to extend the EU Settlement Scheme deadline to prevent thousands of children from losing legal status.
Children and families need £12.5bn over three years, says new ADCS president 22/04/2021 The growing number of children and families who need support 'to thrive, not just survive in the wake of the pandemic' will need investment of around £12.5bn over three years, says England's new children’s services chief.
Children ‘bearing brunt’ of mental health crisis 09/04/2021 The number of children seeking help for mental health problems increased by 28% during the pandemic, new figures have revealed.
Thousands of vulnerable EU children face legal ‘cliff edge’ 30/03/2021 A charity has warned that thousands of children in care who are from EU countries could find themselves with no legal status in the UK because of Brexit.
Seven million children return to school 17/03/2021 Over seven million children were back in schools and colleges last week as part of the first step in the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown.
Majority of parents warn pandemic has made children less active 08/03/2021 More than two-thirds of parents have warned their children are less physically active than before the start of the pandemic in a new survey.
Framing our approach to children with challenging behaviour 09/02/2021 Professor Sandy Toogood explains how an approach called Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) can help children who present with challenging behaviour or behaviour of concern.
New strategy 'a golden opportunity' to tackle child sexual abuse 22/01/2021 A new strategy to protect children from all forms of child sexual abuse has been published by the Government today.
Nearly 130,000 children in temporary accommodation during lockdown 13/01/2021 Around 450 primary schools’ worth of homeless children are spending lockdown in temporary accommodation amid a chronic shortage of affordable housing, council chiefs have warned.
Babies ‘largely invisible’ in pandemic response 21/12/2020 Babies and young children have been forgotten in the Government’s response to the pandemic, health visitors warn.
Footballer Marcus Rashford launches child food poverty website 21/12/2020 The England international footballer Marcus Rashford has launched a new website to support children and vulnerable people over the Christmas period.
Secure children's home places 'inadequate' 02/12/2020 Young people are being ‘failed’ by a lack of places in secure children’s homes, research published today has revealed.
Duchess of Cambridge unveils results of UK's biggest early years study 27/11/2020 Only one in four people recognise the specific importance of the early years, according to the UK’s biggest ever study on the topic.
Over half of teachers have worked with homeless children, study reveals 18/11/2020 More than half of state teachers (56%) have worked with homeless children in the past three years, a new study has revealed.
Peers call for public service reform to improve resilience 13/11/2020 Peers have warned that ‘fundamental weaknesses’ in public services must be addressed in order to withstand future crises.
Faith leaders call for ‘cross-party strategy’ for tackling child poverty 02/11/2020 Faith leaders praise footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to extend free school meals and urge the Prime Minister to establish a cross-party commission with the mandate and resources to tackle child poverty in England.
Childhood obesity rises again in past year 30/10/2020 Children living in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese as those in the least deprived, new figures have revealed.
Children ‘responded with resilience’ to lockdown, study says 12/10/2020 Young people have faced a number of mental health challenges during the lockdown but overall they have reported relatively stable levels of happiness, according to the Government’s second State of the Nation report.
Parents call on councils to improve school air quality 15/09/2020 Parents call on councils to improve air quality as research suggests 50% reduction in pollution could halve number of children?with?poor lung function.
Thousands of families face ‘bleakest’ winter, charity warns 14/09/2020 A new report from a children’s charity has warned of a ‘bleak’ winter with thousands of families set to be plunged into financial crisis.
Watchdog warns progress on childhood obesity is 'slow' 09/09/2020 Government efforts to tackle childhood obesity have been slow and uncoordinated, the public spending watchdog has warned today.
Psychiatrists call for suspension of fines for children who can’t attend school 26/08/2020 The Royal College of Psychiatrists has called for the suspension of fines for children who can't attend school due to Covid-related anxiety.
Low-income families ‘struggling’ under lockdown 25/08/2020 Coronavirus has left low-income families struggling with a significant deterioration in living standards and high stress levels, child poverty charity finds.
Government announces £9m ‘catch up’ funding for early years pupils 24/08/2020 Schools urged to sign up to ‘catch up’ programme aimed at raising speaking and language outcomes among pupils whose education has been disrupted by Covid-19.
Council chiefs warn of ‘surge’ of post-lockdown dental treatments 24/08/2020 Local authority leaders have warned of a potential post-coronavirus surge of dental treatments following the lifting of lockdown.
Government tells councils to ‘do their bit’ for child asylum seekers 21/08/2020 The Home Office has called on local authorities to do more to support vulnerable children seeking asylum in the UK.
Kent reaches capacity to safely care for migrant children 18/08/2020 Kent County Council has warned it has reached its capacity to safely care for any more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Framework for referring child victims of trafficking 'not working' warns commissioner 12/08/2020 The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for identifying child victims of trafficking is 'not working', the anti-slavery commissioner has warned.
Pandemic leaves one in five teenagers unhappy with their lives 30/07/2020 More than a million teenagers are unhappy with their lives, according to new research looking at the impact lockdown has had on well-being.
How poetry can inspire joy and hope for children in care 20/07/2020 Muna Adam explains why she launched a create writing competition for children and young people in care.
ADCS president calls for welfare overhaul 08/07/2020 The impact of the pandemic on children’s futures must not be underestimated, the president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) has said.
Teachers call for summer holiday offer to support children 19/06/2020 Teachers have urged the Government to fund councils to help them provide summer activities for children in preparation for a return to school in September.
‘Generation of children’ losing out due to lack of lockdown education 16/06/2020 Children who are locked down at home spend an average of 2.5 hours a day doing school work, a new study has revealed.
Multi-million pound funding to support children affected by domestic abuse 29/04/2020 Specialist services that support children affected by domestic abuse will receive £3.1m in extra funding.
Warnings that vulnerable children 'hidden from sight' during lockdown 27/04/2020 New local area profiles will help councils identify how many vulnerable children are in their area.
Playing outside helps build ‘connected communities’, research says 17/03/2020 Researchers have called on local authorities to ‘recognise and value’ the contribution of residents who organise playing out sessions for children.
Public health cuts ‘stall’ progress in children’s health 04/03/2020 Progress in children’s health and wellbeing has ‘stalled or is in reverse’ partly because of cuts to local authority budgets, study finds.
Government to ban unregulated children's homes 12/02/2020 Children aged under 16 will no longer be placed in unregulated accommodation under proposals announced by the Government.
Study finds a tenth of 14-year olds 'blighted' by poverty 12/02/2020 A tenth of 14-year olds are living in persistent poverty, analysis by the Children's Society has found.
Air pollution stopping children reaching sporting potential, report warns 11/02/2020 More than a quarter of children’s sports grounds have dangerous levels of air pollution, a new report has found.
Local agencies 'woefully ill-equipped' to stop child abuse 04/02/2020 Children are being left at risk because local agencies – including social care – are often ‘woefully ill-equipped’ to prevent and respond to child sex abuse in families, four inspectorates have warned.
New advice urges councils to ‘not shy away’ from adoption 16/01/2020 The Government has urged local authorities to prioritise adoption and ensure adoptive parents are not wrongly turned away.
Agency calls for more families to consider adoption 03/01/2020 A regional adoption agency has urged more people to consider adoption as a route to building or extending their family.
Parish councillors call for childcare support 23/12/2019 Local councillors have urged the new Government to reform rules which prevent them from being able to claim childcare costs.
Children’s home closed due to safeguarding concerns 17/12/2019 A specialist children’s home in Gloucestershire has temporarily closed because of safeguarding and safety concerns.
Council criticised for ‘Trans Inclusion Toolkit' 16/12/2019 Oxfordshire County Council has defended its guidance to schools looking to support young people who feel they are not the gender they were assigned at birth.
New figures reveal exercise inequalities 06/12/2019 Children from less affluent families are less likely to participate in physical activity than their wealthier peers.
A child loses their home ‘every eight minutes’, charity says 03/12/2019 The number of children without a home in Britain is at the highest it has been in 12 years, a homelessness charity has revealed.
Planning system is ‘failing’ children’s rights, says report 29/11/2019 The planning system is neglecting the rights and needs of children, a new report has warned today.
Bristol accused of 'abject failure' over SEND care plans 26/11/2019 An overhaul of services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is under way at Bristol City Council, after it failed to meet deadlines for families applying for support.
Nearly 500,000 children ‘worried’ about mental health 20/11/2019 Almost half a million children who are worried about their feelings or behaviour are not asking anyone for help, according to campaigners.
Child poverty in working households up by 800,000, TUC finds 18/11/2019 The number of children growing up in poverty in working households has shot up by 38% since 2010, according to the TUC.
Children do less exercise as they get older, research reveals 14/11/2019 Primary school children do less exercise as they get older, according to new research.
Pioneering project ‘diverts’ children from organised crime 29/10/2019 A programme diverting young people away from a life of serious organised crime is set to be rolled out to a number of cities across the UK, a children’s charity has announced.
Special educational needs reforms ‘poorly implemented’, MPs say 23/10/2019 A generation of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is being failed by the Government’s SEND reforms, MPs warn.
Whitehall urged to change gambling laws to apply to online games 22/10/2019 A new report has called on the Government to tighten gambling laws to help protect children from spending hundreds of pounds while playing online games.
Around 58,000 reception-aged children obese, data shows 11/10/2019 New figures from the NHS have revealed that obesity levels among reception-aged schoolchildren in England have increased.
Give councils the powers to restrict takeaways, obesity report says 10/10/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed a proposal to strengthen planning powers to help deal with the underlying causes of obesity.
Majority of children ‘happy’, report finds 10/10/2019 The overwhelming majority of children in the UK are happy, according to an official report.
Councils voice concern over 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates 27/09/2019 An 'alarming' fall in childhood vaccination rates should serve as a wake-up call to parents and authorities about the need for children to be protected against disease, local government leaders have warned.
Over 4,000 young people ‘exploited’ by County Lines gangs 20/09/2019 Figures released by the Mayor of London’s office have revealed that there are more than 4,000 young people involved in County Lines operating out of London.
Whitehall launches £30m fund to fight online ‘predators’ 17/09/2019 The Government has announced a £30m fund to help tackle paedophiles operating online.
Councils accused of acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs 17/09/2019 Lack of money and increasing demand have been blamed after an allegation that councils were unwittingly acting as 'recruiting sergeants' for drug gangs.
Council criticised after SEN child left without education for over a year 12/09/2019 Worcestershire CC complaints policy has been criticised after a boy with special educational needs was left without appropriate education for 14 months.
Cash-strapped councils struggling to support SEND children, auditors warn 11/09/2019 Auditors have warned that councils are coming under growing financial pressure as the demand for supporting school pupils with the greatest needs rises.
Quarter of a million children ‘unhappy’, charity says 28/08/2019 Council chiefs have called for more funds for children’s services after a charity found quarter of a million teenagers in the UK are unhappy.
Millions of children go hungry over summer holidays, Labour say 22/08/2019 Government funding on holiday hunger supported less than 4% of all children who are currently eligible for free school meals, the Labour Party have said.
Housing crisis forcing 1.3 million children to live in ‘overcrowded’ conditions 22/08/2019 A new study has revealed that more than one in 10 children in England are living in overcrowded homes because of a lack of suitable housing.
Children growing up in ‘B&Bs and shipping containers’, commissioner warns 21/08/2019 Thousands of children are growing up in unsuitable temporary accommodation, commissioner warns – a state of affairs council chiefs blame on a lack of funding.
Air pollution could be causing a third of child asthma cases, study warns 08/08/2019 Air pollution could be the cause of up to a third of new cases of childhood asthma in Europe, according to a new study.
Calls for ugent investment in public playgrounds 05/08/2019 The decline in public playgrounds is ‘pushing’ children away from outdoor play, a new survey has revealed.
System struggling to cope with 'explosion' of older children in care, Commissioner warns 01/08/2019 The system is struggling to cope with the increasing number of older children going into care over the past five years, a new report has warned today.
Over 14 million living in poverty, think tank reveals 30/07/2019 Millions of people, including children and pensioners, are living below the poverty line, new research into poverty has revealed.
‘Primary school’s worth’ of children face homelessness this summer 22/07/2019 Next PM told to make homelessness an 'urgent priority' as research finds hundreds of children face being placed into temporary accommodation this summer.
Charity calls for help feeding children during the holidays 16/07/2019 The Trussell Trust is urging people to donate food to their local food bank to help support families with children during the summer holidays.
Local government cuts forcing children to grow up in poverty, Labour say 15/07/2019 Millions of children are growing up in poverty because of Whitehall cuts to council funding, Labour says after research reveals extent of childhood poverty.
Hinds launches £9m mental health training scheme 12/07/2019 Pupils struggling with mental health are to benefit from more 'joined up care and support', education secretary Damien Hinds has announced.
Deaf children face ‘radio aid lottery’ 11/07/2019 Local authority leaders have hit back against a claim that councils are failing to provide aids to deaf children.
Free HPV vaccination to be offered to boys 09/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed an announcement that from boys will be offered the free Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine for the first time.
Austerity creating ‘crisis of childhood’, charity warns 09/07/2019 Funding cuts mean support has been diverted away from early help services into protecting children at immediate risk of harm, council leaders have warned.
Stop 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, council chiefs say 09/07/2019 More must be done to stop the 'criminalisation' of children in care homes, according to local government leaders.
Air pollution ‘shortening the lives of children’, report reveals 08/07/2019 A new study has revealed that air pollution could be shortening the lives of children in Birmingham by seven months.
London boroughs warn refugee scheme ‘is not working’ 08/07/2019 The Government scheme for distributing refugee children throughout the country is not working, according to London Councils.
Young people ‘fear for their future’, charity says 08/07/2019 Young people fear for their future and feel ignored by politicians, according to new report.
Primary school children targeted for ‘county lines’ drug trafficking 05/07/2019 The response from statutory agencies to ‘county lines’ drug dealing is ‘too often haphazard’, a charity warns as new report reveals children as young as seven are being exploited by criminal gangs.
Next PM told to invest £10bn in ‘mending broken childhoods’ 04/07/2019 The next PM should put the billions they have promised for income and corporation tax cuts towards ‘mending broken childhoods’, says Children’s Commissioner.
Majority of young people experience mental health issues, poll reveals 02/07/2019 Three in five young people have experienced a mental health problem or are close to someone who has, according to a new survey.
New fund to cover costs of children’s funerals 01/07/2019 Grieving families will no longer have to pay for their child’s burial or cremation under a new government scheme in England.

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