Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the Centre for Young Lives 2026 State of the Nation report on childhood vulnerability; and what plans they have to make reducing childhood vulnerability a national priority.

The department welcomes the Centre for Young Lives’ 2026 State of the Nation report on childhood vulnerability and shares the report’s ambition that every child should be supported to thrive.

The department is delivering substantial reforms to support vulnerable children and families. Tackling child poverty is a key government priority and is central to giving every child the best start in life.

The Child Poverty Strategy sets out the steps being taken to reduce child poverty in the short term while putting in place the foundations for long-term change. It brings together action across government to boost family incomes, reduce the cost of essentials and strengthen local support for families.

The department is also supporting intensive earlier help for families, more expert child protection and greater use of family networks. Our Families First Partnership programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over this spending review period and provides families and children with access to improved local support, to break the cycle of late intervention and help more children and families stay together safely.