Children’s services leaders in England call for national ‘plan for childhood’

Failure to tackle post-pandemic needs was ‘massive missed opportunity’, say council directors

• Explained: the devestating impact of Covid and austerity on children in England

Children’s services leaders have called for a national “plan for childhood” to transform the health, emotional wellbeing and life chances of a generation of youngsters scarred by austerity and the pandemic.

In a withering assessment of the government’s record over the past few years, they said ministers had presided over deepening child poverty, crumbling schools and an exploding health and wellbeing crisis in young people, with low-income families worst affected.