About The Children's Society

The Children's Society is a leading national charity that makes childhood better for all children in the UK. We do this in three ways:

- Our network of community-based projects provide immediate and lasting help for children who feel excluded, isolated or abandoned; children who often face danger or disadvantage in their daily lives.

- Our schools work, family centres and mentoring schemes help children avoid crisis by developing the skills and confidence they need to challenge and overcome difficult situations.

- Our research and campaigning creates real change by influencing the thinking of everyone - from the general public to politicians and decision makers - about how to make childhood better.

Our priorities for a good childhood are driven by what children tell us they need the most - to live in a world where they can experience loving, caring relationships in families and communities that respect and support them.

Our history

THE HISTORY OF THE CHILDRENS SOCIETY

The Children's Society has been striving to help disadvantaged children and young people since 1881 and has played an important role in addressing the injustices of society, past and present.

Historically, The Children's Society's approach to its work can be split into two eras. The first, from 1881 until 1970 when the Society ran a large number of children's homes and was one of the country's leading adoption agencies and the second, from 1970 until the present, when residential care was replaced with innovative projects working to support children, young people and their families within their own environment.

THE FOUNDING OF THE SOCIETY

Edward Rudolf was a young Sunday school teacher and civil servant.
One Sunday, two of his regular pupils did not turn up for lessons. He set out to look for them and found them begging on the streets.

This was the period of workhouses and no welfare state and Rudolf realised that here was an unanswered need.

Rudolf led a deputation to the Archbishop of Canterbury to put forward a plan for a central Church of England children's home. The Archbishop warmed to the idea, remarking "... if this thing is to be done, this man Rudolf is the man to do it ..."

Shortly afterwards, Rudolf's new organisation was registered as the Church of England Central Society for Providing Home for Waifs and Strays. In 1946 the title changed to the Church of England Children's Society, and since the 1980s it has been known as The Children's Society.