The Coronavirus pandemic affects every section of our society, and children who have been ‘At Risk’ are more vulnerable than ever.
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said ‘these children and young people might have been in the line of sight of support networks previously; however, due to school closures, professionals now consider these children as potentially being ‘At Risk’ of becoming ‘invisible’.
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said, ‘Up to 2.3 million children are at significant risk‘ and on the edge of social services attention. Currently, they are not getting any help.’ ‘These children are in families that are already unstable, and this crisis will put them under ‘much more pressure’.
‘Schools give a ‘clear line of sight.’
‘Schools closing means many of these children would have one or two hot meals a day, with schools providing structure and peer support. These schools give professionals a ‘clear line of sight’ to children and have a ‘well-established escalation procedure.
With the closures of Children’s Centres, nurseries, libraries and other support services, there will now be the best part of 1 million children who have needed social workers in the past three years. These vulnerable children are now at risk of becoming ‘invisible to ‘professionals’.
Vulnerable children are at risk of becoming ‘invisible.’
We often take for granted the network of people who help us raise our children. This support network often includes Grandparents, Teachers and neighbours who are now in lockdown. Sadly, now lost to many families, this support means they become ‘at risk’ and invisible to ‘professionals themselves.
There has been speculation from ‘professionals’ that the number of children in care will rise significantly due to Coronavirus; however, there is no evidence of this significant rise.
It appears that families are now growing closer together, with communities helping vulnerable families more than ever before. Maybe Coronavirus is becoming the glue to reform and reshape our communities.
Charities are working together in the community to protect families during COVID-19.
Salford Food Parcels have been dropping food parcels that include nappies and sanitary products to families in need. The Holiday Hunger project is preparing lunch boxes for vulnerable children in need.
These children would normally have meals at school. Sadly, the pandemic made our lives challenging, especially for vulnerable families, to feed their children. However, these children are not invisible to us. As a result, communities come together to ensure families get the support they need.
The kindness shown in our community has been remarkable. Organic fruit and vegetables are donated to food clubs, ensuring that children regularly have fresh and natural foods wherever possible.
The hens in the allotments are laying fresh eggs, and people unite in a renewed ‘community spirit.’ God willing, the community spirit remains as we return to whatever ‘normality’ awaits us.
There are currently 78000 vulnerable children in foster care in the UK.
We are in ‘challenging times’, and traditional recruitment procedures have been adjusted and adapted for our current challenges. However, we never stop recruiting. If anything, the coronavirus has made our resolve even stronger because more children need safe and loving homes than ever before.
Please help us make the future a kinder and more caring place for vulnerable children in our communities. If you have thought about fostering, contact Verve on the form below, and we’ll get back to you.
Together, we will all make a difference in children’s lives.