In what may come to be seen as a watershed moment for the campaign for children’s right to play in England, a report published today by the Children’s Rights Alliance for England and endorsed by a wide range of leading children’s rights advocates, including Barnardo’s, the Children’s Society and the NSPCC, has called for children’s play provision to become a full statutory duty and policy for play to once again become a specific responsibility of the national government.
The report, entitled UK implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: civil society alternative report, 2015, to the UN Committee, England highlights the detrimental effect on children of austerity measures across a wide spectrum of their lives, including the hugely disproportionate reduction in play services and the closure of many playgrounds after the abandonment of the Play Strategy in 2010.
The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, once a member of the Children’s Play Council’s executive committee, was due to speak at the report’s launch in Parliament later today, 1st July.
Reblogged this on janeoutdoorplay and commented:
Interesting blog from our friends at Policy for Play
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A good report that clearly shows how play services have been hit by the cuts and makes a clear recommendation too. I am assuming this is your influence, and if I am right, well done and a massive thank you.
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Thanks for posting this – a most valuable statement, well written and presented. Have you sent on to Bob Hughes of Play Education? If not, please do.
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