The lost children
Millions of youngsters at risk, says study
MILLIONS of children in England are “at high-risk”, says a report today.
Some 580,000 youngsters are so vulnerable the state has to step in to provide direct care or support.
For the first time, the report by Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield breaks down which groups of children are in dangerous situations.
And she says many children are “invisible” because their cases are not reported, or there is “worrying” gaps in data. Ms Longfield said: “It is shocking half a million children, equivalent to the population of Manchester, need direct intervention or care from the state because they live vulnerable lives. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. “When it comes to describing and assessing the scale of negative factors in a child’s life which will hamper progress, we’re floundering.” The Commissioner, who says the Government must do more to collect better data, will now consult broadly and develop a plan of action. Robert Goodwill, Minister for Children and Families, insisted: “We are taking action to address this issue.”
HEARTBREAKING barely begins to describe the plight of children who are growing up in danger rather than happiness and security.
With nearly 700,000 viewed as being at risk of harm in England alone and the authorities forced to intervene to protect almost 600,000, we are witnessing too many lost childhoods.
Whatever the causes – whether financial hardship, mental illnesses, violence, alcohol or drugs – we need, collectively, to redouble efforts to save troubled families.
Parents with problems, often themselves born in chaotic homes, will struggle to break free to nurture their own children without support and assistance. Every child matters. Now is the moment to prove it.