Picture a nation where a third of children live in poverty and where more youngsters are imprisoned than in any other European country.
Welcome to the UK, where it sure is tough growing up, according to a report from the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE). It seems that progress on protecting the human rights of children has been, at best, patchy in the UK in recent years. So it is no surprise that life is particularly hard for youngsters who are looked after by local authorities.
The CRAE report caught my eye in November 2007, as it emerged at the same time as the Children and Young Persons Bill, which aims to reform the statutory framework of the care system in England and Wales.
Children in care are some of society's most vulnerable individuals, with unstable lives and complex needs. They experience disadvantage in comparison to their peers and often suffer poor life outcomes as adults, which can have an impact on the rest of society in a variety of ways. The case for improving the care system is unquestionable.
But museum professionals should do more than wait and see if the planned reform of the system works. Not only can we support calls for improvements in care but we can also work with young people in different ways to other institutions.
As a youth and care worker in the early 1990s, I sought stimulating and unusual places to take children, places that would welcome and not judge. Museums often provided that haven. This is even truer now than it was in the early 1990s, with children's voices being heard in museums through initiatives such as youth panels, and services more attuned to the needs of youngsters.
The sector has produced evidence to show that museums and galleries can be safe and inspiring places for children, well equipped to engage with a wide variety of youngsters.
While it is true that working with young people in care does require particular skills and experience that do not always exist in our sector, partnerships with agencies such as youth services can address this gap and result in innovative and unique projects.
As someone hoping for real improvements to the lives of all children in the UK, including those in care, I would like to see museums being a respected player in the movement for change. Childhood is precious and all young people have the right to the best possible start in life.
Museums can help provide that, by doing so much more than simply enhancing the curriculum. In the year that the UK government will be formally examined by the United Nations on its performance in relation to the rights of children, museums should strive to reach new heights in working with young people, whatever their background.
Sally Manuireva is the director of learning and knowledge at the Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust
Welcome to the UK, where it sure is tough growing up, according to a report from the Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE). It seems that progress on protecting the human rights of children has been, at best, patchy in the UK in recent years. So it is no surprise that life is particularly hard for youngsters who are looked after by local authorities.
The CRAE report caught my eye in November 2007, as it emerged at the same time as the Children and Young Persons Bill, which aims to reform the statutory framework of the care system in England and Wales.
Children in care are some of society's most vulnerable individuals, with unstable lives and complex needs. They experience disadvantage in comparison to their peers and often suffer poor life outcomes as adults, which can have an impact on the rest of society in a variety of ways. The case for improving the care system is unquestionable.
But museum professionals should do more than wait and see if the planned reform of the system works. Not only can we support calls for improvements in care but we can also work with young people in different ways to other institutions.
As a youth and care worker in the early 1990s, I sought stimulating and unusual places to take children, places that would welcome and not judge. Museums often provided that haven. This is even truer now than it was in the early 1990s, with children's voices being heard in museums through initiatives such as youth panels, and services more attuned to the needs of youngsters.
The sector has produced evidence to show that museums and galleries can be safe and inspiring places for children, well equipped to engage with a wide variety of youngsters.
While it is true that working with young people in care does require particular skills and experience that do not always exist in our sector, partnerships with agencies such as youth services can address this gap and result in innovative and unique projects.
As someone hoping for real improvements to the lives of all children in the UK, including those in care, I would like to see museums being a respected player in the movement for change. Childhood is precious and all young people have the right to the best possible start in life.
Museums can help provide that, by doing so much more than simply enhancing the curriculum. In the year that the UK government will be formally examined by the United Nations on its performance in relation to the rights of children, museums should strive to reach new heights in working with young people, whatever their background.
Sally Manuireva is the director of learning and knowledge at the Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust
