YES - Adrian Voce, director, London Play
Children are finding it harder to play outside, with catastrophic consequences.
The DfES has said that the Children Bill "makes it clear that play ... outcomes sit equally alongside the others (for) children's ... services".
This is a breakthrough but, resulting from a Lords amendment, seems more of a concession than a commitment. We need a stronger lead from government, a national play strategy and a requirement for extended schools and children's centres to offer open access play for local children.
YES - Di McNeish, director of policy and research, Barnardo's
But the following issues would need to be taken into account. Firstly, local authorities have limited funds and a lot of responsibilities. A duty would need to be accompanied by ring-fenced government resourcing. Secondly, our report on children's views on traffic found that in many areas children may not be able to get to facilities because of unsafe drivers. Thirdly, children and young people don't want to be corralled into "safe play areas" - they want to be able to use their communities.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
