Every Child Matters Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Every Child Matters - Literature review Example The Children Act 2004 obliges schools and children's service agencies and other agencies, such as police, prisons and NHS trusts to protect children and promote their welfare. The agenda includes everything from "maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation, accidental injury, and death, bullying and discrimination, to crime and antisocial behavior."   The areas of focus have been an educational failure, ill health, substance addiction, teenage pregnancy, abuse and neglect, crime and anti-social behavior among children and young people.The policy includes five main aims   of focus - be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to society and achieve economic wellbeing. The aims of the program have been good health (mental and physical, health lifestyles), skills development, community and society participation, economic well-being, creating Sure Start Children’s Centres in at-risk neighborhoods. The Sure Start children's centre programme offers early learning opportunities for children. The program is based on the belief that high-quality play and books at early age help in further learning effort at later stages of schooling. This helps to identify early learning abilities of children and prevent any possible defects. Along with other planned activities the policy aimed to boost child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) through creation of a Young People’s Fund. The policy also targets improvement of speech and language therapy. There are also many other activities planned to boost the level of child protection and development.