Build Back Childhood

The Build Back Childhood campaign harnesses the support of over 700 organisations demanding that the Chancellor makes a strategic investment in babies, children, young people and families at the autumn Spending Review.

It is the latest action in the high-profile Children at the Heart movement, coordinated by the National Children’s Bureau, calling for children to be remembered in spending plans.

We have created a ‘case for investment’ for how taxpayers' money could be allocated, informed by the views of children and young people themselves, and supported by a wide range of organisations including children’s charities, education unions, and community organisations.

Find out more and get involved:

Our 'case for investment' for the autumn Spending Review
What children and young people want as priorities for the public purse
Social media assets to use and adapt

In October 2021, the Chancellor responded favourably to many of our recommendations. Read our:

Our case for investment from the autumn Spending Review

Supported by 700+ organisations, and drawing on the views of children and young people, our vision show's how the Spending Review can be a turning point that enables us to #BuildBackChildhood.

Before the pandemic, a child’s health, wellbeing and life chances were powerfully shaped by the circumstances of their birth. The pandemic has painfully exposed these inequalities, with disadvantaged children falling even further behind their peers in education, and those who were already vulnerable being put at even greater risk.

The Spending Review is a turning point. Instead of going back to how things were, this is our chance to look to the future – a future where every child feels safe, secure and supported. This is our chance to Build Back Childhood.

Today’s challenges demand a strategic approach to the needs of babies, children and young people from conception to age 25. Creating lasting change must mean sustained improvement in core budgets to ensure existing duties can be met, as well as funding new initiatives. Our children need a Spending Review that:

Levels up living standards for families;
Explicitly invests in prevention and early intervention;
Takes a rounded approach to children’s recovery;
Gives every child the best start in life.

A graphic showing the demands of the Build Back Childhood campaign

The clock is ticking and, as each day passes without a decisive response, the longer-term risks to children and the cost to the public purse rise.

<<< FIND OUT MORE IN OUR REPORT 'BUILD BACK CHILDHOOD - THE CASE FOR INVESTMENT' >>>

What do children and young people want as priorities for the public purse?

We asked the children and young people we work with to share their ideas for how taxpayers' money should be allocated.

Finlay, aged 16, makes a passionate plea to properly support children and young people’s mental health.

The Build Back Childhood campaign's Case for Investment draws on the views and ideas of children and young people themselves. In a series of videos that young people working with NCB contributed to the campaign, they highlight the priorities they want politicians to address: