Centre for Young Lives’ 2025 State of Childhood Vulnerability Report
The Centre For Young Lives (an independent think tank dedicated to improving the lives of children, young people, and families in the UK) has issued a report that explores the magnitude of childhood vulnerability in England in 2025 (the “Report”). Through its presentation of data, the Report illustrates that there are an increasing number of children who face vulnerability in England due to poverty, homelessness or neglect, among other forms of vulnerability.
Details
The Report highlights the following key findings:
- Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020, there has been a considerable rise in the number of children facing difficult vulnerabilities in England.
- 4.5 million children in the UK were living in relative poverty in the year to April 2024, representing almost a third of children. In the year ending March 2024, there were 34,150 homeless households with children that qualified for support from the council, which is an increase of 78% from 2019.
- There are now more children under the care of the state, which has increased by 11% when compared to 2018, with a 500% increase in children being placed in unregistered or illegal children’s homes since 2021. There has also been a rise of 45% in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children living in England since 2021.
- There has been an increase in the number of children reported as victims of violence since 2022, though fewer children are entering the youth justice system for the first time. However, there has been a 21% increase in the number of children receiving custodial sentences since 2023.
- In 2023/24, 1,487,022 children were persistently absent from school and, as compared to 2018, fewer children are now reaching a good level of development by age five. This is coupled with the fact more children are now identified as having special educational needs or autism and requiring the highest level of support.
- The mental health crisis has reached unprecedent levels as the number of children with diagnosable mental health problems has risen to one in five as of 2023, which has doubled since 2017.
The Report concluded that it would like to see the establishment of a new data dashboard on childhood vulnerability of the scale of the Children’s Commissioner’s Vulnerability Index as published in 2021, in addition to centralised government departments making use of a single unified definition of “childhood vulnerability”. It is suggested this will target help where it is most needed to ensure that more children are both protected from harm and supported to succeed.
Commentary
The data in the Report is sobering and reveals a generation of children in the post-Covid era facing significant challenges that will likely have lasting effects on their life into adulthood. The Report underscores that such challenges often intersect and begin with poverty and inequality.
It is noted that the likely cause for the dramatic shift in the data is due to a combination of rising poverty and austerity measures, in addition to the lasting effects of the pandemic on families. The UK’s public services are strained and often intervention is both costly and ineffective due to the late stage at which children are provided with support. While the current UK Government has shown a willingness to increase investment in the necessary public services, this is ultimately not a quick fix as the challenges are complex and myriad.
This update intends to highlight the up-to-date data demonstrating the scale and nature of childhood vulnerability, which may assist legal practitioners in identifying and evidencing the relevant factors when making mitigation submissions on behalf of their young clients during sentencing proceedings and when arguing in favour of an informal out of court disposal instead of a charge. Citing evidence of social, educational, or health-related disadvantages can often be effective in contextualising a child’s behaviour and encouraging decision makers to view them as vulnerable victims rather than simply as perpetrators.
Written by
Amelia McGrath, Associate, Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP