Displaying items by tag: toll on children
Pandemic’s devastating toll on children
The NSPCC says the amount of counselling for loneliness provided by its Childline service has risen by 10% since the pandemic started. Pray for isolated and lonely children to receive the counselling support they need. Health visitors supporting parents and young babies are worried about the impact on newborns. The first two to three years of a baby's life are the most crucial period of development. This is known as the 1,001 days agenda. If children fall behind, they could have a lifelong disadvantage. Pray that no more babies fall behind in their development, and for more health visitors to be allocated to support new families. There are a million disabled children with special educational needs (SEN), with complex conditions requiring home care from specialists who have now been redeployed. Pray for adequate support and respite for families with SEN children. Pray also for protection for children whose parents have drug/alcohol dependency or severe mental health issues.