Why children must be at the heart of the next Government

Action for Children and partner charities are calling for children and young people to be prioritised in government decision-making. This means putting children’s needs at the centre of policy, investment, and long-term planning.

We have partnered with Barnardo’s, the National Children’s Bureau, NSPCC, and The Children’s Society. Our goal is to call on the government to ensure that "children growing up in the UK today and tomorrow are safer, happier, healthier, and have more equal access to opportunities."

We are very concerned that for too long, children (including babies) and young people have not been a priority for the government, or for political parties generally.

The cost of living crisis, the economy, immigration, housing, and the NHS are all top of MPs’ agendas, according to nfp Research. But the issues that face children and young people today are not priorities for decision makers. These are issues like:

• Poverty
• The increasing number of children being taken into care
• School absence
• A growing mental health crisis
• Online and offline abuse and exploitation

These are all things that we think should be a priority.

At Action for Children, we understand the lasting impact of these issues. Our services across the UK experience them every day.

• We know that in 2023/24, 4.5 million children in the UK were living in poverty and children are among the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis.
• Our research found that almost half of the children in poverty are living in families that face at least one significant barrier to extra work.
• We know there are now more children than ever in the care system in England: 82,170 – an increase of 22% over the last decade.

With our partners in the coalition, we commissioned research showing that delaying the national reform process for children's social care will cost taxpayers billions in the long run. It will also lead to thousands more children and families reaching crisis point.

We have brought all of our evidence together in a new report, Children at the Table, released in November 2023.

In the report, we invite the main political parties to commit to a personal pledge made by the next Prime Minister and Chancellor to:

• Be champions for children.
• To put them at the heart of their next Government.
• To invest more of our national wealth in improving their lives.

• Commit to an ambitious cross-government strategy and outcomes framework to drive improvements for babies, children, and young people.
• Show a new approach to decision-making that places children’s needs, wishes, and outcomes at its heart and involves children and young people every step of the way.
• Invest more of our national wealth in improving the lives of babies, children, and young people and spend strategically on early intervention and prevention.

With commitment from the very top of government, we can shift the dial from crisis interventions to ensuring childhoods are happier, healthier, and free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

We stand ready to work with the next UK government, devolved Governments, all politicians, the voluntary and community sector, academics, and health care professionals to give children a seat at the table and transform childhoods for future generations.

If you are an MP or decision maker who would like to support this campaign, or if you have any questions, please contact our Public Affairs Manager at [email protected].