A Children First Government

Please sign this petition if you share our vision for building a better UK that invests in its future (the next generation of children and young people).

The experience of childhood for many children has been a difficult one over recent years. The root causes that diminish the wellbeing and life chances of many children, although often glaringly obvious, have been put in a box marked ‘too difficult’. 

Too many problems affecting children’s lives are being overlooked by those in power. These are young citizens who do not have a vote, and so lack the power to challenge government to act in their best interests.

This is resulting in problems piling up, with little sign they will be solved any time soon. There are record numbers of children in care, millions of children experiencing poverty, a mental health epidemic playing out across a backdrop of poor health, and an education system where one in five young people are leaving school without basic qualifications. Thousands of children are starting school without the necessary skills and there are record numbers of children disengaging with the education system. The cost of these problems is crippling the UK and contributing toward economic stagnation.

Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives believes it doesn’t need to be this way. We want the next government to rethink how it organises and prioritises its work to focus on improving every aspect of childhood.

We believe that everyone who cares about the future of the UK should join forces at this unique moment in the political cycle to bring about a dramatic change in how government views children and families, the way it invests, and the aspirations it has for every child.

We are proposing a ‘Children First Government’ programme to make this happen.

Please sign our petition if you share our vision for building a better UK that invests in its future (the next generation of children and young people).