“Investing in children and the services that support them is crucial if we are to break the link between background and opportunity that holds back too many young people. The measures announced in today’s Spending Review – money for projects supporting the most vulnerable children, a boost in social housing and an expansion of free school meals – are positive steps that could bring relief to struggling families.
“Children are experiencing real hardship – they talk to me in stark terms about how the worries and pressures on their parents impact their daily lives: living in unsafe or temporary housing, struggling to get to school, having to skip meals.
“Money alone will not transform children’s lives – we must also listen to children’s experiences and respond with urgency to protect and prioritise childhood. Investment in schools and services must be matched by a clear vision to tackle the inequalities facing children with additional needs, so plans to create an inclusive education system must be brought forward without delay so that no child misses time in education, forced to wait on a list for support.”
