Leaders described a “truly sad day for the sector” as Children England’s chief executive Kathy Evans said she was “proud of the decisiveness of our board in knowing when it’s time to call it a day”.
“We know we aren’t the first, nor likely to be last, purposeful organisation that will have to grasp the necessity of closing this year, despite still believing passionately in the value and importance of what they do,” she said.
Mark Russell, chief executive of the Children’s Society, was among the first to pay tribute to the work of the charity which launched as the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO) in 1942.
He said: “It has been a privilege for The Children’s Society to be a member of Children England and I have so valued their incredibly important work campaigning, leading and fighting for change for young people, whilst at the same time being some of the glue that holds the children’s charity sector together.
“I pay tribute to Kathy Evans their fabulous chief executive for her leadership and I am deeply sorry that Children England is closing. A truly sad day for our entire children’s sector.”
We are saddened to hear about the closure of @Childrenengland which has played a key part in ensuring all kinds of organisations working to improve children’s lives have a shared voice.
— Coram (@Coram) September 20, 2023
We will do all we can to continue its legacy and mission. https://t.co/gDSNkzqCSe https://t.co/TxigMgZ6pb
Carol Homden, chief executive of Corman added: “Children England has been a passionate and vocal campaigner for children through continued austerity and cuts. At this time, with London and the North East united by having the worst levels of child poverty in England, and a need for national and regional responses for the future, this work has never been more important.”
Jonathan Stanley, director of the National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care, said: “The loss of Children England should make us all sit up alarmed. Community voluntary organisations, the people often serving others for little or no reward doing the “things that fire you up in the morning, that drive you, that you truly believe will make a real difference to the country you love”, a quote from David Cameron, are hanging by a thread.”
“Our profound concern about what’s happening to all charities and public services in the pernicious economic context will outlast our ability to continue campaigning about them.”
— Joanna Foster (@fabtic_ltd) September 20, 2023
The words of @Kathy_CEO_CE on the closure of Children England after 81 years of support#Austerity https://t.co/gToLOYEf5f
Andy Elvin, chief executive of foster care charity, Tact Fostering, said: “The clear political choice that was, and is, austerity is disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable members of our society.
“The building blocks of our civil society are being deliberately dismantled and the extremely regrettable closure of Children England is the latest example of this. A system that allows private equity investors to excessively profit from children’s social care but cannot fund organisations that protect and speak up for these children is profoundly broken.”
"A system that allows private equity investors to excessively profit from children’s social care but cannot fund organisations that protect and speak up for these children is profoundly broken.” TACT CEO @Millinerstale1 in @cypnow on the closure of @Childrenengland https://t.co/XvHnPyHxSB
— TACT Fostering (@TACTCare) September 20, 2023
Others took to social media to share their sadness, with Become’s chief executive Katharine Sacks-Jones writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: “As a trustee of Children England this decision was taken with great sorrow. We are losing a purposeful & passionate organisation at the forefront of campaigning for children’s rights. It is a huge loss to the sector and a dire warning of the challenges facing children’s charities.”
The Race Equality Foundation posted on the social media site: “This is very sad news Children England - one of our of first partner organisations nearly 30 years ago. A huge loss for children and young people. Thank you for all your work tirelessly campaigning for children and young people's rights.”
Children England will close at the end of the year.
