85p in every £1 we spend is used to create safe and happy childhoods.
The i Paper has launched its 'Happy Childhoods' Appeal to help more children have safe and happy childhoods. Action for Children offers vital family support, including children's centres, family hubs, and early years support, and other essential services across the UK. We also campaign to bring lasting improvements to the lives of children and young people.
687,755
We helped 687,755 children, young people and their families
372 services
We run 372 services in local communities across the UK
150 years
We’ve been helping children for more than 150 years
Right now 4.3 million children in the UK are growing up in poverty. 107,000 children are growing up in care. One in six are suffering with their mental health, while 270,000 are on waiting lists for mental health support.
That's why we have thousands of dedicated staff on the ground giving children and young people the protection and practical help they urgently need.
The support he gets is invaluable. He can’t go and stay at nanny’s overnight or go and have tea with his auntie or his cousins so coming to Young Carers gets him away from Ella, gives him a bit of a break and out with people his own age.
Emma on her son Caiden, who is a young carer for his sister Ella.
By working together, we can continue to reach the children and families who need us most. And ensure they have the support they need to thrive.
85p in every £1 we spend is used to create safe and happy childhoods.
Your donation could help a family on the brink receive the urgent help and support they need. A family like Victoria's.
I’m not having much for breakfast and skipping lunch every day now - I just survive on tea and coffee during the day. I then sit my children down with their food and I just have whatever is left over for my main meal. Sometimes that’s just one or two fish fingers and a little bit of beans.
Victoria, a mum-of-four supported by Action for Children
- £3 could provide a weekend’s worth of nappies for a newborn baby.
- £7 could provide a teddy bear or other toy to comfort a child in poverty.
- £10 could provide lunch for a week for a child living in poverty.
- £15 could pay for books or toys to help a child in poverty to learn.
- £25 could pay for a new pair of shoes for a vulnerable child.
- £40 could provide warm winter clothes for a child who needs them.
- £75 could provide a pushchair for a toddler whose parents could not otherwise afford it, helping them get out and about.
- £100 could pay for a large emergency food package for a struggling family.
Help us reach more families like Victoria's
Donate
Your donation could help us reach more families across the UK.
Family support
We run family support services all over the UK, including children’s centres, family hubs, youth support services, young carers services and our free digital support service, Parent Talk.
What is family support
Family support, also known as early help, covers a wide range of services aimed at helping parentings give their children the best start in life.
It can include support for parents on topics like feeding, stages of development and sleep, along with stay and play groups designed to support children's social and language development.
For families needing extra help or with more complex needs, family support teams can identify this early and put the right support in place. This might include parenting programmes, support for disabled children, or those with special educational needs, domestic abuse support, or help with mental health or substance misuse.
This can help families stay together safely and happily, where possible, when children may otherwise be at risk of entering the care system.
Our family support services also work with foster families to make sure that every child has a safe and loving home, giving them the foundations they need to thrive.
In 2023/24, we helped 611,089 children, young people, and families through our family support services.
Our family support services
- 61 family support services.
- 68 children’s centres and family hubs.
- 36 support services for young people, including youth justice, youth employment, and youth support.
- 9 young carers’ services.
- 1 online Parent Talk service.
- 43 Spring nurseries and out-of-school clubs (part of our commercial operation that makes a contribution to the charity).
Last year, we recorded outcomes for over 12,000 children and young people and their parents/carers who used our family support range of services:
- 83% of parents/carers have improved parenting skills and confidence through our family support services.
- 77% of children and young people have improved relationships with their parent/carer.
Children in care
- 20 youth housing support services.
- 15 fostering and adoption services.
- 11 residential children’s homes.
- 1 children's rights and independent visitor service.
- 1 residential school.
In 2023/24, we helped 42,000 care experienced children and young people through support, information, and advice.
Disabled children
- 14 homes for disabled children.
- 55 disability residential and community short breaks services.
The difference our services for disabled children make:
- 85% of disabled children and young people have improved social skills and friendships.
- 77% have taken part in more or new activities.
- 85% have improved life skills.
I had tried reaching out for support before and nothing had worked. I went into the programme expecting it would be the same information and buzzwords that are usually thrown about, but it was completely different. [...] It's really helped me take notice of the positive things in my life.
Ellis, who received mental health support from our Blues Programme
Mental health and wellbeing
- 37 mental health support and wellbeing services.
- In 2023/24, we reached 54,878 children struggling with their mental health.
We reached almost 8,000 young people through The Blues Programme. After completing the course:
- 75% of young people said they had increased confidence.
- 73% increased self-esteem.
- 81% were now able to talk about their mental health and wellbeing.
- 98% would recommend the service to a friend.
Child poverty
A staggering 4.3 million UK children are growing up in poverty* – that’s nearly 1 in 3 children.
Many of these children are in families where one or both parents work.
In many areas of our work at Action for Children, poverty is worsening challenges families were already facing. Despite none of our services being originally set up to solely help families facing hardship, our frontline staff are seeing the devastating impact it has every day. Poverty affects all aspects of family life. It destroys lives.
Poverty and extreme hardship is increasingly commonplace in our communities and is felt particularly sharply by families with children. Too many families are unable to afford essentials.
Financial support through the social security system is often inadequate and isn’t protecting children from severe hardship. Work does not offer a reliable route out of poverty, and many of the families we support face complex barriers to employment.
Poverty cuts across all our services and is a major driver of the needs that families come to Action for Children with.
Where is child poverty increasing in the UK?
*Relative poverty after housing costs takes into account the proportion of families with below 60% of the median UK household income. Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2023 - GOV.UK
85p in every £1 we spend is used to create safe and happy childhoods.
85p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people, and their families. We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives. Donations from this campaign will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. That means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest.
*Figure based on audited 2023/24 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.
