As we approach the next General Election, which is likely to take place in 2024, there is a very real opportunity for political parties to commit to pioneering a step-change for the nation’s children and young people.In this manifesto, we’re setting out our recommendations for how the next UK Government can change childhoods and change lives.
Children, young people, and families have faced unprecedented challenges across the UK in recent years. The disruption from Covid, which caused children to miss months of school, has carried on with a staggering 1.8 million children regularly missing from the classroom.
Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis has left thousands of families facing agonising choices between paying essential bills or buying basic necessities. As children and young people struggle to cope, research suggests some one in five children and young people are likely to have a diagnosable mental health condition. Our children and young people deserve so much better. That’s why we developed this manifesto.
Our manifesto at a glance
We've set out our own manifesto with commitments we would urge all political parties to adopt. Our proposals set out the practical action needed to:
To find out more, read our full manifesto or contact Barnardo’s Policy and Public Affairs Team [email protected].
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Help us give children a seat at the table
Ahead of the upcoming general election, we at Barnardo's, along with four of the UK’s largest children’s charities – Action for Children, The Children’s Society, the National Children’s Bureau and NSPCC – have come together to call for whoever becomes the next Prime Minister and Chancellor to be champions for children.
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Our joint letter to the Chancellor on the Household Support Fund
We have written to the Chancellor alongside more than 120 other organisations calling for an urgent extension to the Household Support Fund - which is set to end on 31 March.
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"My children are people, not numbers." How the two-child benefit limit impacts families
In this blog, Danielle, a mum of four, explains how the two-child benefit limit affects her children. We want the Government to end this sibling penalty and lift 250,000 children out of poverty.