Department for Children, Schools and Families

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) was set up by the government on 28th June 2007 with the aim of consolidating services for children and achieving a high standard of eduction for children throughout society; in order that each child reaches their potential.

According to the website, the department “will now focus on the significant challenges that remain - raising standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. The new structure will also allow us to respond to new challenges that will affect children and families: demographic and socio-economic change; developing technology; and increasing global competition.”

People

Ministerial Team

• Rt Hon Ed Balls MP Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
• Rt Hon Jim Knight MP Minister of State for Schools and Learners
• Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners
• Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families
• Baroness Delyth Morgan Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families

Board Members

• David Bell Permanent Secretary
• Tom Jefferey Director General
• Jon Coles Acting Director General for Schools
• Lesley Longstone Direcotr General
• Carolanne Wright Diector of Communications
• Michael Hearty Acting Director General

Personnel

• Sinead O'Sullivan Principal Private Secretary and Private Offices
• Ian Haldenby Head of Internal Audit
• Claire Johnston Legal Adviser

Obesity

With the aim of improving the health of children, the DCSF has established initiatives in order to deal with the increasing health problem of obesity in children. It aims to do this through various strategies. These are The Children's Plan and Every Child Matters, which incoroprates the cross-government strategy Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives.