Engaging Parliament to Write a New Story for Children and Families

Back in May, Safe Families and Home for Good joined forces for our General Election campaign. We called on you to write to your local parliamentary candidates, urging them to take action for children and families. Your response was overwhelming, and today, we want to say a heartfelt thank you.

Because of your efforts, nearly 70 prospective parliamentary candidates committed to meeting with us this autumn. Of those, 29 were successfully elected to Parliament. Your advocacy helped lay the groundwork for what has been an inspiring and productive season of engagement with Members of Parliament. Together, we’ve taken a significant step toward writing a better story for children and families in the UK.

A United Voice for Change

These meetings were our first time engaging with MPs as a joint Safe Families and Home for Good team, and the collaboration has significantly strengthened our advocacy efforts. As a merged organisation we have been able to speak with one voice to MPs about the importance of early intervention so that families can stay together, as well as advocating for children and young people with care experience. By Safe Families and Home for Good combining our expertise, relationships, and shared commitment to children and families, we’ve been able to present a united voice to those in positions of power and influence. .

Five Critical Issues

This autumn, we’ve met with 12 MPs, including two Government Ministers. These meetings have centred on five key areas of policy that urgently need attention:

1. Expanding early intervention services to prevent family breakdown and reduce the number of children entering care.
2. Strengthening adoption practices to ensure every child can find a permanent and loving home when adoption is deemed most suitable.
3. Improving care for teenagers, who often face significant challenges as they transition into adulthood.
4. Addressing the foster carer recruitment crisis, which has left many children without stable, local, placements.
5. Tackling profiteering within the care system, ensuring that resources are used to support children and families rather than generate profit for the share holders of private companies.

Underscoring all of these discussions has been the anticipated Children’s Wellbeing Bill, a legislative opportunity to bring about transformational change for children in care and their families.

A highlight of this season was our meeting with Janet Daby MP, the Minister for Children and Families. (pictured above) These discussions marked an essential step forward in advancing our shared vision for a care system that works better for everyone. Janet’s willingness to listen and engage with our proposals was encouraging.

As we reflect on these significant milestones, we’re also looking ahead with determination. The conversations we’ve had are just the beginning. With your continued support, we will keep building relationships, amplifying the voices of children and families, and driving forward the changes that matter most.