We work closely with decision makers to achieve our purpose: Changing childhoods. Changing lives. Through our influencing work, we drive long-term change for children and young people, creating opportunities for their voices to be heard by decision makers. We also use evidence from our services to influence government policy.
To change lives, we need to change laws
We campaign to raise public awareness of the issues affecting children and young people and we influence government using our own evidence-based research to make change happen.
Our campaigns and influencing are currently focused on:
- looked-after children and young people leaving care
- mental health and wellbeing
- child sexual abuse and exploitation
- child poverty
- ensuring all refugee and migrant children receive a warm welcome
Our key achievements in 2024-25
For years, we have been campaigning for better systems and services that serve children so that they grow up safer, happier, healthier, and more hopeful. In 2025, the Government listened and met many of our policy calls as set out in our General Election manifesto including:
- An end to the two-child limit on benefit payments which will lift up to 350,000 children out of poverty from April 2026.
- The extension of free school meals to all children in families in receipt of Universal Credit, which is expected to lift 100,000 children out of poverty, which we called for in our report ‘Empty Plates, Cold Homes’.
- The Holiday and Activities Food programme has been extended up until 2028. This means children who receive free school meals will not go hungry during the school holidays, which we called for in our report ‘A Recipe for Success’.
- The expansion of Mental Health Support Teams in all schools and colleges to better support children and young people struggling with their mental health, which we discussed in our report ‘It’s hard to talk: Expanding Mental Health Support Teams in education’.
- A £500 million investment for Family Hubs in every local authority in England over the next three years so that families are supported earlier, before they reach crisis point - a case which we set out in our report Building families, building futures: The case for family hubs in every community’.
- Legal changes to strengthen support for those leaving foster or residential care so that the state provides care in the same way a parent would from providing transport and support with housing, which we called for in our report ‘Supporting Journeys to Independence’.
- A statutory definition of child criminal exploitation to better help professionals to identify victims and make sure they are supported appropriately, which we recommended in our report ‘Invisible Children’
With 4.5 million children living in poverty, our work is far from done. We will continue to push the Government to go further and faster to improve the lives of children across all four nations of the UK.
You can read through our latest research and policy reports which have led to welcome policy changes for children on our reports and publications page.
Championing children in Parliament
We know young people want to be heard. As a Parliamentarian, you can champion their voices by:
- asking questions
- holding debates
- hosting events (virtually or in-person)
You can also get involved in your local community by:
- visiting a Barnardo’s service
- volunteering in a shop
- attending a local event
Contact us
To organise a meeting, speak to someone about our work, or to arrange a visit, contact the Policy Team at [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter @barnardosnews for all of our most recent policy and media updates.