Everychild

Recession will massively increase the number of children growing up alone, warns EveryChild on Universal Children’s Day

EveryChild is warning that the number of children who will become separated from their families and communities over the next decade will massively increase due to issues like global recession, armed conflict, natural disasters, HIV and AIDS.

In a major new report released on Universal Children’s Day EveryChild says that widespread failure to protect children from abuse is already responsible for between 100 – 150 million children living or working on the streets, 8 million living in residential institutions and over 1 million in detention. It warns that these numbers will run into scores of millions over the next years and seriously hamper governments from achieving the Millennium Development Goals, warns EveryChild.

In the new report Why Do Separated Children Matter EveryChild details how separated children are more likely to suffer abuse, be exposed to HIV infection, suffer from mental health problems and go onto abandon their own children.

Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of EveryChild said: ‘The horrific death of Baby P in London has demonstrated the dire consequences of failing to protect vulnerable children. In poor countries the challenges are even greater with vulnerable families simply left to fall apart, children allowed to take to a life on the streets whilst others, who could stay at home with the right support are abandoned into institutional care. Right now, children living on their own, without parental or community care, fall below the radar of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

'Governments and NGOs must put more emphasis on preventing the separation of vulnerable children from their communities as a means of meeting their commitments to the MDGs. With current trends like the global recession set to significantly increase the number of children separated from their families and communities policy makers must do more to address some of the underlying causes of separation such as family disintegration due to violence, abuse and exploitation.'

She continued: 'It is not good enough to simply say these children are statistically ‘invisible’ because they are absent from data collected from households, schools, clinics and workplaces. These children, whose numbers almost certainly run into the scores of millions, deserve to be counted, their needs met and their rights upheld. Hunger, disease, inadequate housing and little or no education are huge problems for children living in poverty across the world. But those who are separated from their family face even greater hardships and exclusion.’

To raise awareness of child separation as a global development issue EveryChild is holding its chances4childhood exhibition, which explores play and poverty around the world. The exhibition provides an insight into the lives and playtime of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. chances4childhood opened on November 19th and runs until December 7th at the.gallery@oxo, London. The exhibition is open everyday from 11am-7pm. Admission is free.

Read EveryChild's Universal Children's Day Press Release here.

Download EveryChild's Universal Children's Day report Why Do Separated Children Matter?

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Recession will massively increase the number of children growing up alone, warns EveryChild on Universal Children’s Day