4Children

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4Children was a charity organisation in the United Kingdom focused on children and families. Formerly, the National Out of School Alliance and then the Kids' Club Network, the organisation was established in 1983 for developing a concept of after-school provision following research conducted by the British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centre (BASSAC).{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=s74wnJfZYiUC&pg=PA5|title=Good Practice in Playwork Second Edition: A Guide to Good Practice|first=Paul|last=Bonel|year=2000|pages=5–6 |publisher=Nelson Thornes |isbn=978-0-7487-5496-0|access-date=29 July 2011}}

4Children ran 88 Sure Start Children's Centres across the country, 42 nurseries, 21 out-of-school clubs, and provided services in 24 activity centres at Royal Air Force bases in partnership with the RAF Benevolent Fund.{{cite web |date=20 August 2010 |title=4Children launches youth work projects for RAF | Children & Young People Now |url=http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1023330/4Children-provide-youth-work-projects-RAF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021236/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1023330/4Children-provide-youth-work-projects-RAF |archive-date=4 October 2011 |access-date=29 July 2011 |work=cypnow.co.uk }}

History

=4Children=

In 2004, Kids' Clubs Network changed its name to 4Children.{{cite web|url=http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/422439/|title=CHARITY RELAUNCH: Kids' Clubs unveils its new identity | Children & Young People Now|work=cypnow.co.uk|date=3 March 2004|access-date=29 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021212/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/422439/|archive-date=4 October 2011|url-status=dead}} It was officially launched at the organisation's annual policy conference, 'Tomorrow's World' at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster. The following year, the charity announced plans to expand their work by running children's centres in partnership with local government.{{cite web |url=http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/467511/Childrens-Centres-4Children-plans-radical-expansion |title=Children's Centres: 4Children plans radical expansion | Children & Young People Now |work=cypnow.co.uk |date=22 March 2005 |access-date=29 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021300/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/467511/Childrens-Centres-4Children-plans-radical-expansion |archive-date=4 October 2011 |url-status=dead }} In 2005, 4Children's first children's centre, the Carousel Centre in Essex, was launched. In 2009, 4Children launched the Family Commission, an inquiry that asked 10,000 families about their experiences of family life and family policy in the UK. Chaired jointly by Esther Rantzen and Anne Longfield, the report called for the extension of children's centres.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Rachel|title=Families say public services fail them|work=The Guardian|date=22 February 2010|access-date=22 July 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/feb/22/families-public-services-fail}}{{cite news|last=O'Hara|first=Mary|title=4Children spearheads early years initiative|work=The Guardian|date=31 May 2011|access-date=22 July 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/may/31/anne-longfield-4children-spearheads-early-years-initiative}}{{cite web|title=Welcome to The Family Commission website|access-date=22 July 2012|url=http://www.thefamilycommission.org.uk/home.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724053842/http://www.thefamilycommission.org.uk/home.html|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

=Partnership=

4Children was Department for Education's strategic partner for early years. 4Children also ran a website, 4Children's Foundation Years{{cite web |url= http://www.foundationyears.org.uk |title=Foundation Years |work=www.4children.org.uk }} to support early years professionals.

=Campaign=

The Make Space for Health campaign was the charity's longest running campaign to inform young people about healthy lifestyles.{{cite web |url= http://www.warwickcourier.co.uk/news/local/racing_club_make_space_for_teenagers_1_1076220 |title=RACING CLUB MAKE SPACE FOR TEENAGERS - Local - Warwick Courier |work=warwickcourier.co.uk |year=2011 |access-date=29 July 2011}}

Closure

4Children's corporate growth under its chief executive, Anne Longfield, was not matched by growing revenues, and the charity ran into financial trouble. It ceased operations and entered administration on 1 September 2016. Before its financial difficulties were publicly known, Longfield was appointed Children's Commissioner for England. Many of its functions were assumed by Action for Children.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/05/childcare-charity-4children-goes-into-administration | title=Childcare charity 4Children goes into administration | newspaper=The Guardian | date=5 September 2016 | first=Patrick | last=Butler | access-date=9 October 2016 }}

References

External links

{{Official website|http://www.4children.org.uk/}}
{{EW charity|288285}}

Category:Children's charities based in England

Category:Charities based in London

Category:1981 establishments in England

Category:2016 disestablishments in England