The Children's Plan
Background
The Children's Plan is an initiative launched by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in December 2007.
According to the DCSF website, "The Children's Plan aims to make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up.” The Plan fits alongside the initiative, Every Child Matters.[1]
The Children's Plan is broken into five categories, Creating an Entitlement to Positive Activities; Play; Risky Behaviours: Young People and Alcohol; Parents engaging with children's learning; Children and young people's health. [2]
The Children's Plan highlights the importance of various actors in society working together to promote the well-being of children, including schools, children’s services, the voluntary sector and Government.
The government aims to put more money into safer places for children to play (especially the most disadvantaged); better health information for parents; and a review of primary school curriculum. Whereas emphasis is put on parents and families to take responsibility over issues of healthy eating and exercise. [3]
The National Obesity Forum (NOF) complained about The Children's Plan's stance on obesity, “NOF cannot but express its profound disappointment that the Children's Plan virtually ignored childhood obesity.” [4]
The Children's Plan: A Progress Report
The section on child obesity points to the £372m government intitiave Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives that has declared plans to lower obesity levels to that 2000 by 2020. The Children's Plan claims that in addition to this, it will invest £783m for sport in schools and £650m for improving school food, which includes £150m for school dining areas/ kitchen improvements. A free, healthy recipe cookbook for 11 year olds will also be published.
As part of the drive to improve the food eaten by children in schools, the Fuel 4 Kids scheme provides children under 11 years with healthy, free food: breakfast and mid-morning snack of milk and fruit.[5]
Research
Conducting an assessment into the effects of the commercial world on the wellbeing of children, the DCSF is obtaining expert advice from a panel of independent academics by March 2009 [6]. This panel is chaired by Professor David Buckingham, who is an advisor to two advertising/ food/ toy industry front groups, MediaSmart and Advertising Education Forum.
The other members of this panel are: Agnes Nairn | Brian Young | Mary Jane Kehily | Lydia Martens | Hugh Cunningham | Sonia Livingstone | Virginia Morrow | Paddy Barwise | Mary MacLeod[7]
As part of this assessment, the DCSF also claims to have conducted consultations with children and young people, parents and other interested parties[8].
In response to a call from the panel of academics reporting to DCSF, the Advertising Association (AA) produced a report 'Children's wellbeing in a commercial world'. According to the AA this report "explodes the myth of toxic childood". AA allege that the increase in exposure to the commercial world has no negative impact on the wellbeing of young people and in fact their study drawing on 15-year trend data, shows an increase in young people's self esteem and in some cases, reinforced values.
Referring to this report, chief executive of AA, Peta Buscombe claims "The picture that emerges is that aspects of the commercial world are important net promoters of children’s wellbeing, helping to promote more positive thinking and counterbalancing negative pressures in children’s lives."[9]
Resources
DCSF, Timeline for The Children's Plan[10]
DCSF, Panel members assessing the impact of the commercial world on the wellbeing of children, reporting in March 2009, FOI received 26 February 2009
Notes
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Implementing the Children's Plan, accessed 10th February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Fact Sheets, accessed 10th February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Children and young people's health, accessed 10th February 2009
- ↑ The National Obesity Forum website NOF and Westminster, Tam Fry, 11th December 2007, accessed 10th February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website The Children's Plan: A Progress Report, DCSF, December 2008, accessed 11th February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Review into the impact of the commercial world, DCSF, 7 April 2008, accessed 26 February 2009
- ↑ Reply to FOI request from DCSF to kerri Park, received 26 February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Review into the impact of the commercial world, DCSF, 7 April 2008, accessed 26 February 2009
- ↑ Advertising Association website Research and Reports, accessed 26 February 2009
- ↑ Department for Children, Schools and Families website Timeline accessed 26 February 2009
