# 4Children > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/4Children > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/4Children.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4Children > Source revision: 1323086480 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **4Children** was a [charity](/source/Charitable_organization) organisation in the [United Kingdom](/source/UK) focused on children and families. Formerly, the National Out of School Alliance and then the Kids' Club Network, the organisation was established in 1983 for developing a concept of after-school provision following research conducted by the [British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centre](/source/Settlement_movement) (BASSAC).[1] 4Children ran 88 [Sure Start](/source/Sure_Start) Children's Centres across the country, 42 nurseries, 21 out-of-school clubs, and provided services in 24 activity centres at [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) bases in partnership with the [RAF Benevolent Fund](/source/RAF_Benevolent_Fund).[2] ## History ### 4Children In 2004, Kids' Clubs Network changed its name to 4Children.[3] It was officially launched at the organisation's annual policy conference, 'Tomorrow's World' at the [Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_II_Centre) in [Westminster](/source/Westminster). The following year, the charity announced plans to expand their work by running children's centres in partnership with local government.[4] In 2005, 4Children's first children's centre, the [Carousel Centre](/source/Carousel_Center) in Essex, was launched. In 2009, 4Children launched the Family Commission, an inquiry that asked 10,000 families about their experiences of family life and family policy in the UK. Chaired jointly by [Esther Rantzen](/source/Esther_Rantzen) and Anne Longfield, the report called for the extension of children's centres.[5][6][7] ### Partnership 4Children was [Department for Education's](/source/Department_for_Education) strategic partner for early years. 4Children also ran a website, 4Children's Foundation Years[8] to support early years professionals. ### Campaign The *Make Space for Health* campaign was the charity's longest running campaign to inform young people about healthy lifestyles.[9] ## Closure 4Children's corporate growth under its chief executive, Anne Longfield, was not matched by growing revenues, and the charity ran into financial trouble. It ceased operations and entered [administration](/source/Administration_(law)) on 1 September 2016. Before its financial difficulties were publicly known, Longfield was appointed Children's Commissioner for England. Many of its functions were assumed by [Action for Children](/source/Action_for_Children).[10] ## References 1. Bonel, Paul (2000). [*Good Practice in Playwork Second Edition: A Guide to Good Practice*](https://books.google.com/books?id=s74wnJfZYiUC&pg=PA5). Nelson Thornes. pp. 5–6. ISBN 978-0-7487-5496-0. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 1. ["4Children launches youth work projects for RAF | Children & Young People Now"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021236/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1023330/4Children-provide-youth-work-projects-RAF). *cypnow.co.uk*. 20 August 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1023330/4Children-provide-youth-work-projects-RAF) on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 1. ["CHARITY RELAUNCH: Kids' Clubs unveils its new identity | Children & Young People Now"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021212/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/422439/). *cypnow.co.uk*. 3 March 2004. Archived from [the original](http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/422439/) on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 1. ["Children's Centres: 4Children plans radical expansion | Children & Young People Now"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111004021300/http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/467511/Childrens-Centres-4Children-plans-radical-expansion). *cypnow.co.uk*. 22 March 2005. Archived from [the original](http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/467511/Childrens-Centres-4Children-plans-radical-expansion) on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 1. Williams, Rachel (22 February 2010). ["Families say public services fail them"](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/feb/22/families-public-services-fail). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 22 July 2012. 1. O'Hara, Mary (31 May 2011). ["4Children spearheads early years initiative"](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/may/31/anne-longfield-4children-spearheads-early-years-initiative). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 22 July 2012. 1. ["Welcome to The Family Commission website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110724053842/http://www.thefamilycommission.org.uk/home.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.thefamilycommission.org.uk/home.html) on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2012. 1. ["Foundation Years"](https://www.foundationyears.org.uk). *www.4children.org.uk* 1. ["RACING CLUB MAKE SPACE FOR TEENAGERS - Local - Warwick Courier"](http://www.warwickcourier.co.uk/news/local/racing_club_make_space_for_teenagers_1_1076220). *warwickcourier.co.uk*. 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. 1. Butler, Patrick (5 September 2016). ["Childcare charity 4Children goes into administration"](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/05/childcare-charity-4children-goes-into-administration). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 9 October 2016. ## Further reading - ["£1.2m is in the kitty for youth clubs - Local West Yorkshire News - News - Huddersfield Examiner"](http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/page.cfm?objectid=12732744&method=full&siteid=50060). *examiner.co.uk*. 13 March 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2011. - ["Recognition for childcare (From Daily Echo)"](https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/47221.man_to_face_court_over_letter_bombs/). *dailyecho.co.uk*. 4 February 2002. Retrieved 29 July 2011. - ["National Sure Start Month | Nursery World"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111007151708/http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/717420/National-Sure-Start-Month/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH). *nurseryworld.co.uk*. 20 March 2003. Archived from [the original](http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/717420/National-Sure-Start-Month/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH) on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011. The Kids' Clubs Network, which is co-ordinating the month of activities...sponsored by the Government's new Sure Start Unit which oversees Sure Start, childcare and the early years in England. - O'Hara, Mary (31 May 2011). ["4Children spearheads early years initiative | Society | The Guardian"](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/may/31/anne-longfield-4children-spearheads-early-years-initiative). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. [London](/source/London,_England): [GMG](/source/Guardian_Media_Group). [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). [OCLC 60623878](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60623878). Retrieved 29 July 2011. ## External links - [Official website](https://www.4children.org.uk/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [4Children](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4Children) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4Children?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.