Editorial: Journey gets tougher for Every Child Matters

Three years on, this radical programme of reform has taken root aschildren's professionals up and down the country have embraced a visionof a better and safer world for every child. However, as our recentChildren Now Fund conference discovered, we may have travelled a greatdistance since the green paper's publication, but there is still a longway to go (see Analysis, p11).

For instance, outcomes are improving, but not universally nor equally,for every child. There is better partnership working, but major costpressures stand in the way of a truly joined-up, integrated children'sservices workforce. Every Child Matters and school standards have movedcloser together, but there are still plenty of schools and teachers whobelieve their job is only about the academic achievement of the childrenon their roll. And, although prevention is the ultimate goal, themajority of the time, money and effort continues to be spent onintervening only when families reach crisis point.