ADCS response to the Queen’s speech

Rachel Dickinson, ADCS President, said:

“There was relatively little in today’s Queen’s speech for children, and relatively little that was new. However, we are interested in engaging with the new Royal Commission on the criminal justice process and understanding how it will relate to children and young people who are in conflict with the law.

“The government reaffirmed its commitment to provide schools with a three-year funding settlement which is welcome, but we still await a sustainable settlement for local government.

“We are pleased that the Domestic Abuse Bill will continue its progression through parliament, but it does not go far enough for children. Growing up in an abusive household can have a devastating and lifelong impact on children’s lives. This is the most common reason why children come to the attention of children’s social care. In tackling this issue, we must maintain a strong focus on early intervention and prevention, working with both families at risk as well as with perpetrators.

“We had hoped that today’s speech would provide long term solutions to many of the issues affecting children and families today, such as child poverty. It did not. Poverty damages lives, it damages childhoods, and it damages the economic prosperity of this country. We urge the new government to be ambitious for children by introducing strategies that reduce child and family poverty as a matter of urgency.”

ENDS

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