In the late nineteenth century Edward Rudolf, a young Sunday School teacher and civil servant in South London, found himself confronted by the brutal effects of poverty on the lives of children. When he went to look for two young boys who had failed to turn up for his Sunday school, he was horrified to find them begging for food in the streets. It transpired that their father had died, leaving their mother struggling to bring up seven children under the age of 11 – and leading to such desperate measures for the family to survive.

Theirs was not an isolated experienced. In Victorian Britain, it was largely left to the Church and voluntary organisations to provide social services and welfare. Against this backdrop, Rudolf was moved to act and in 1881 set up the organisation we now know as The Children's Society, which immediately took up a challenge that continues to this day. As such, we have worked at the forefront of the mission to provide a meaningful future for disadvantaged and vulnerable children for 125 years. 

Our history can be divided into 4 broad periods:

Our Hidden Lives Revealed website provides more details of our early years, from information about our children’s homes to photographs and sample case files. But changing times mean changing needs. So having moved gradually from caring for vulnerable children in homes to working with children and families in the community, we now focus our commitment and expertise to where it's needed most.

We can not help every child in need so we provide vital help and support for those children who face the greatest danger, discrimination or disadvantage in their daily lives; children who are unable to find the help and support they need elsewhere

Our network of projects helps over 50,000 children and their familites each year. Through our pioneering research and influential campaigning, we defend, safeguard and protect the childhood of all children.

We support children in trouble with the law, guiding them away from a cycle of crime and custody. We work with children who are forced to run away from home or care, protecting them from abuse, crime and prostitution on the street. We ensure that disabled children have a voice and are given the choices other children enjoy. And we help refugee children rebuild their lives in new communities, surrounded and supported by friends. We are also expanding our work with young carers, traveller children and children whose parents misuse alcohol and drugs.

Vision

Together we can create a world that loves all children unconditionally, and where children are free to be children.

A world where:

Mission

We look at the world through the eyes of children, and never flinch from what we see.

When society sticks labels on children, we seek to understand what is bottled up inside. Through that understanding we work with children to imagine, explore and identify the most effective ways to meet their needs.

We cannot help every child, so we focus on those who are most in need. By hearing them and helping them we create positive change for many more.

Values

We are founded on a Christian vision and driven by Christian values.

We discriminate in one way only: by choosing to help those most in need, whatever their origins or beliefs.

We have the courage to face with children the most difficult situations; the imagination to help them define the way ahead; and the humility to accept that children may know better than we do what is best for them.

Copyrite - images posed by models @ Getty Images