How councils can lead change for children and young people
This year's Good Childhood Report shows children’s wellbeing is still in decline, and too many feel alone in facing it. Working alongside national government, local government holds powerful tools to make a difference - from commissioning and planning to community and civic leadership. Here we outline practical actions councillors can take to improve children’s wellbeing in their communities, supported by policy recommendations across five key areas: Myself, My School, My Place, My World, and My Future.
What does the Report tell us?
What does the Report tell us?
The Good Childhood Report 2025 highlights that children’s average happiness with their life as a whole, family, friends, appearance, school and schoolwork were all significantly lower in 2022/23 than when the survey started in 2009/10.
It is the first time that children’s average happiness was significantly lower than when the survey started for all six aspects of life, including family.
One in 11 young people experienced low wellbeing in 2025, and one in nine were unhappy with school.
I’m a councillor, what can I do?
Councillors are uniquely placed to stop and reverse the damaging decline in children’s wellbeing. Local government has a track record of achieving real change in difficult circumstances, and its influence matters.
Being a councillor can feel overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to solve every problem at once. By starting to progress change, you can make your community a more hopeful place for children to grow up.
By reshaping the story, strengthening young people’s resilience, and ensuring their voices are heard, councillors can lead a shift that others will follow. This means using the levers you already hold - from planning and commissioning to partnerships and communications - to build a coordinated response that gives children and young people a happy, hopeful and healthy childhood.
The following recommendations show how local authorities can turn influence into impact, using their existing powers to make a tangible difference.
Turning recommendations into action
Turning recommendations into action
Overturning the damaging decline in children’s wellbeing feels overwhelming, as if it belongs only to national government. But the most powerful and immediate levers often sit with local government. Councils are not starting from scratch: they have commissioning powers, convening authority and ability to use statutory duties as leverage to achieve this ambition. Importantly in today’s climate, local government also can shape local narratives, something young people tell us makes them feel unheard and impacts their self-esteem.
“Adults often misunderstand young people. They might think someone is being rude or lazy, but that person could be feeling stressed or sad.”
By using these tools with focus and ambition councillors can move from influence to impact. Ensuring that strategies are not just aspirations but actions to make childhood more hopeful.
Time to act
The choices councillors make today shape not only services, but the stories children tell about growing up in their community, and the memories they hold as adults of their childhood.
Every decision on planning, funding, partnerships, or communications is a chance to tip the balance towards hope rather than harm.
Local government has always been a place where change begins closest to people’s lives. The difference you make today will echo in the confidence, safety and opportunities of future generations
Now is the time to act - to reclaim hope, and to lead the change children and young people are calling for.
For further information or to share updates about actions you or your council have taken please contact Regional Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Georgia Power: georgia.power@childrenssociety.org.uk
