Faith, hope and charities

In the wake of the Kids Company collapse comes the collapse of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF). The two events appear to be unrelated but put together they raise serious concerns about the ability of charities which receive a large proportion of their funds from government to provide continuity of service.

The services children receive need above all to be consistent and reliable. As two clinicians, quoted in the Guardian, argue children and young people could be left bereft when the help they need is suddenly curtailed.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/aug/08/kids-company-closure-cause-damage-children-therapists

A common theme, perhaps, is that both organisation seem to have seen their reserves depleted over recent years, making their ability to respond to the unexpected more difficult. 

Children need more than just the hope that crucial services will be provided consistently. They need to know that Government will not just stand by and allow them to be left high and dry. If charities are providing services with government funds, it is the responsibility of government to help them to do it reliably and resiliently without interruption.