The State our children are in

Member of Parliament, former Children’s Minister and Parliamentary “Friend of 4Children” Tim Loughton MP, looks at the relationship between family and state and what he calls an “increasingly precarious” position of children somewhere in between.

This essay, the final in a series of five commissioned to celebrate 4Children’s 30th year in 2013, sees Loughton set out his 10-point vision for how the UK Government could “show itself to be serious about promoting the value of family” , and give some examples of where practical action would empower children and the family.

Loughton calls for a rebalancing of the relationship between State and family, supporting not supplanting them, and with the interests of the child always first, and making the case for the huge gains to be made from early intervention in a child’s life. Other elements of this plan include the importance of shared parenting and positive role models for children, and for improving online safety.

“Children are children for a reason – they are still growing and need their parents to help them, guide them and protect them in that process. The State, which generally makes for a lousy parent, needs to remember that first and foremost”

Download the pamphlets published as part of a series to celebrate 4Children's 30th year:

• Young Dads: overlooked, undercounted, but out there - Rt Hon. David Lammy MP
• The Symmetrical Family - Richard Reeves
• Modern Motherhood - Cherie Blair
• Flourishing children, smarter government: Learning from the frontline