Government report: “children’s voices are easily marginalised”
A Government Task Force on Family Mediation has stated that current support for separating families “does not meet the demands of children and their voices are easily marginalised”. The report, published in June 2014, adds that “hearing children’s voices is a minority activity”.
The report makes a strong case for giving children and young people a voice.
Children have a “right to participate” and a “right to have their voices heard”.
There is “incontrovertible evidence that children and young people want to be heard”.
We must “review the culture which tends to exclude children and young people”.
We must “ensure authoritative information and support services are available for children…..young people want access to a range of professionals”.
A “Voice of the Child” Advisory Group has now been established and meets for the first time this week. Its aim is to “ensure the necessary steps are taken to promote child inclusive practice and ensure that children’s and young people’s voices are heard” - exactly the aims of Kids in the Middle!
This really helps us to make the case for more support for kids in the middle. We have had real difficulty in persuading big charities and big funders that there is a problem worth addressing. Hopefully that will now change!
