Children's projects 'need six-year funding'

Fundraising | Vibeka Mair | 2 Oct 2008

Action for Children has called for guaranteed six-year funding for any new initiative involving children and young people to prevent a quick-fix and reactive approach to policy-making.

The charity has published a report cataloguing over 400 government policies involving children and young people in the past 21 years. It found that during this period each new initiative lasted, on average, little over two years.

Clare Tickell, chief executive for Action for Children, said such rapid change and short-termism in policy, funding and legislation was not a healthy way of developing and maintaining support for vulnerable children and families.

The report, As long as it takes: a new politics for children, found that across the UK during the 21 years there had been a total of 51 funding streams relevant to children and young people. Of these, over two-thirds no longer existed and just one-fifth had been evaluated to check they had done what they intended to do.

Political process ‘driven by headlines’

In England, there had been 46 initiatives launched since 1987 – on average they lasted 3.9 years and more than 60 per cent have begun in the past four years.

This revealed a short-term, headline-driven political process that did not serve the interests of vulnerable children, according to the report.

“The media-fuelled furore over children supposedly languishing unnecessarily in the care system led to a hasty introduction of time limits and targets for adoptions of children from care,” it said.

“The targets have increased the number of children who can benefit from it. But many argue that it has led to sibling groups being separated unnecessarily and increased the number of placement breakdowns.”

Along with six-year funding, the charity has called for a permanent children’s minister and a cross-party group to develop a 21-year vision for children and young people which all main parties must sign up to.

Who's Who: Vibeka Mair

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