THE Government announced new measures last week to help young runaways, after a 20-year campaign spearheaded by the Children’s Society. The charity says that children under 16 who run away often have to sleep in police cells as there is nowhere else to go.
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, and the Minister for Children, Kevin Brennan, launched the cross-party initiative which seeks to ensure adequate measures are in place for young runaways.
The English Coalition for Young Runaways, a network of 30 charities, has called for a safety net for the 86,000 children who run away from home or care each year.
Research carried out by the Children’s Society found that these children are often forced to sleep rough, and are at greater risk of sexual exploitation, violence, and drug-taking.
The research also found that girls aged between 14 and 15 are the most likely to run away, and that ten out of 27 police forces said that cells are often used for emergency accommodation.
A nine-month consultation revealed that there is little national provision, and no central structure dealing with the issue (Features, 26 October). The report Stepping Up, the result of the consultation requested by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, was presented at the launch. Charity leaders also presented a seven-foot-long running shoe signed by more than 100 MPs.
The new government initiative pledges to undertake a review of how local authorities can provide safe places, with advice on procedures, including a new national indicator. There will also be a move to provide adult support to young runaways.
The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Tim Stevens, who chairs the trustees of the Children’s Society, said: “The announcement is a victory, securing a lasting change for the future of those children who find running away a necessity to escape abuse, neglect, and family conflict.”
www.childrenssociety.org.uk |
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