Children better off today, says study
Tom Lloyd
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A government review has rejected claims that children and young people today are worse off than their predecessors.
The study, which will inform government plans for the development of children's services, says the majority of England's 12.4 million nought-to 19-year-olds lead safe, happy lives.
In the foreword to the report, Children and Young People Today, Children's Secretary Ed Balls, said: "Despite recent reports to the contrary, virtually all children say that they are happy, healthy and cared for by their families."
The report will form the basis of the government's Children's Plan, due out in December.
The plan will set out how services for children and young people can be improved to address a range of problems including the underachievement of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, rising levels of obesity and access to positive activities and outdoor space.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has also conducted a survey of children and young people, Time to Talk, that will feed into the Children's Plan. This found more than 40 per cent of children and young people are concerned for their safety. It also found a fifth of young people think there should be more activities and youth clubs available to them, and half thought positive activities were key to keeping young people out of trouble.
The Children's Society is leading an independent children and youth study, The Good Childhood Inquiry. Kathy Evans, head of policy at the charity, said the findings from the government study are largely in line with their initial findings.
"The importance of investing in activities to keep young people out of trouble is certainly something we've been talking about for quite some time," she said.
Evans said it is hard to judge whether life has got worse for young people, although a Unicef report earlier this year placed the UK bottom of the 21 developed nations studied.
Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau, said: "If the government is going to focus on children's emotional health, community provision and on vulnerable children, that will attract a wide welcome from the children's sector."
