World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November each year to promote children’s rights and shine a spotlight on child welfare across the globe. The international awareness day was first established by the United Nations (UN) in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day. It is now celebrated on 20th November each year as that is...
300 new state nurseries promised to meet childcare demands
The Education Secretary has pledged the introduction of 300 new state nurseries in England within the next 12 months. The nurseries are set to open within English schools by next September to meet rising demand prompted by the introduction of free childcare for children from the age of 9 months. The new Labour government...
Drive to recruit thousands more teachers
The new Education Secretary has announced a scheme to recruit thousands more teachers. In a letter to staff working at all levels of education, Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, outlined an intention to “reset the relationship” with the sector and put education “at the heart of change and the forefront of...
Childline: Children struggling with feelings of unhappiness
Childline has revealed that it receives nearly 40 contacts per day from children who are struggling with feelings of unhappiness and low mood. The national charity helpline, operated by the NSPCC, delivered 14,253 counselling sessions last year for children who were struggling with low mood and unhappiness, leading them to launch a new campaign...
New briefing reveals concerns about in-patient mental health care for children
The NSPCC has published a new briefing about young people’s experiences of in-patient mental health care after a sharp increase in the number of children contacting Childline about this issue. The Helplines Insight Briefing reveals that children and young people often feel as though they’re not being listened to when they’re admitted to, cared...
75% of parents of young children worry for their mental health
New research shows that 3 in 4 UK parents with pre-school aged children worry about their mental health and wellbeing. A recent survey carried out by the NSPCC found that UK parents are anxious about their child’s mental health as well as issues such as social media use and bullying. The issue that parents...
Lack of outdoor play harms children’s health and wellbeing
Charities have warned that a lack of opportunity for outdoor play is seriously impacting children’s health and wellbeing. As MPs lead an inquiry into how better planning could enhance children’s health and wellbeing, charities urged them to prioritise the need for outdoor spaces for play, saying that this would help improve the physical and...
Children in care could reunite with their families with more support
New research from the NSPCC and Action for Children reveals that more children in care could be reunited with their families if there was better support available. The survey of local authorities in England found that 78% of the 75 who responded want to provide more support to help children in care return to...
New measures launched to tackle school absences
The government recently launched new measures to help tackle widespread school absences. Launched as pupils were due to head back into the classroom following their Christmas break, the new measures are designed to drive up attendance and tackle persistent absences at schools in England. Figures show that the number of pupils frequently absent from...
Child cruelty offences have doubled in 5 years, says NSPCC
New data released by the NSPCC reveals that reported cases of child cruelty and neglect have doubled over the past 5 years. The data, obtained by the national children’s charity through a Freedom of Information Request to police forces in England, shows that there has been a 106% increase in recorded offences of adults...
Childline: Over 100,000 children seek mental health help
Data released by the NSPCC reveals that over 100,000 children contacted Childline last year for help with mental health struggles. The confidential charity helpline delivered more than 105,000 counselling sessions on mental health and emotional wellbeing between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023 – over half of the total number of counselling sessions...
Good Childhood Report: Cost-of-living crisis impacts wellbeing
The latest Good Childhood Report reveals widespread unhappiness among children, with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis having a marked impact on their wellbeing. This is the twelfth annual report published by The Children’s Society into the wellbeing of children and young people across the UK. The charity says that this year’s report reveals that too...
Child Safety Week makes safety simple
It’s Child Safety Week in the UK and the theme for this year is Safety Made Simple. The annual community education campaign, which takes place from 5th-11th June this year, is run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) in a bid to spark safety conversations and build families’ knowledge and awareness regarding child...
10% increase in children struggling with exam stress
Childline has reported a 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The confidential charity helpline for children said that almost 2,000 children contacted them to talk about exam stress last year as formal exams returned following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns...
Children’s social care strategy ‘lacks ambition and pace’
A new report from a House of Lord’s Committee has concluded that the Children’s social care strategy is unambitious and slow. The Public Services Committee has published its new report in response to the Government’s Strategy to reform children’s social care, ‘Stable homes built on love: implementation strategy and consultation: Children’s Social Care Reform...