What you must know about Every Child Matters

What is Every Child Matters?

Every Child Matters is an initiative sparked by the government of the United Kingdom to bring a “sea of change” to children and families agenda. The Every Child Matters program was launched in 2003, at least partly in response to the horrific death of Victoria Climbre—an 8 year old girl who, in London, England, was abused and murdered by her legal guardians.

Every Child Matters is regarded as one of the most important policy initiatives and development programs in relation to children’s services in the last decade. The program has been the title of three government works and has ultimately led to the creation of the Children Act in 2004. In addition to children and family agenda, the Every Child Matters program covers young adults up to the age of 19, or 24, for those with disabilities.

The Every Child Matters initiative provides main aims for every child in the United Kingdom, regardless of circumstance or individual background, to offer the support they need to be: healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to their community, achieve economic well-being and stay safe. Each of these general themes is attached with a detailed framework whose specific outcomes require the development of multi-agency partnerships to achieve success.

Agencies in Partnership with Every Child Matters:

To achieve the goals offered in the Every Child Matter’s outline the program must work with agencies of the government and the area to offer resources and educational offerings to parents or guardians of children. The agencies in partnership with Every Child Matters may include children centers, various schools, children’s social work services, play work groups, primary and secondary health services, and Child and Adolescent Mental Health services.

Every Child Matters, through the establishment of relationships with the aforementioned agencies, aims to connect professionals working with children with those in need. More specifically, the every child matters initiative aims to organize the delivery aid to take advantage of each service’s specialty.

What is the Primary Goal of Every Child Matters?

The primary goal of Every Child Matters is to ensure that every student in the United Kingdom is given the chance to be able to work towards the goals referenced within the initiative. The majority of legislation passed and guidance applies to Wales and England, as well as, all maintained schools who have implemented the policy.