Chances for Children: Grant Criteria
Individually tailored grants of up to £2,400 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis
Watch this two minute video to find out more about our grants.
Please note, our Chances for Children grants are currently up to £2,400.
What are Chances for Children grants?
Individually tailored grants of up to £2,400 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their wellbeing and educational engagement.
We fund items and activities to help improve children and young people’s wellbeing and increase their capacity to engage in education and learning.
Download a visual guide here.
Who can make an application to Buttle UK?
We only accept applications from frontline professionals working for a registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation who:
- are working directly with the children/young person
- have made a full assessment of the child’s or young person’s needs
- have carried out at least one home visit (optional for schools and colleges)
If successful, the professional will need to manage the funds, upload receipts within 8 weeks of receiving the grant, and complete an evaluation survey.
Download our model for a successful grant application here.
Who does Buttle UK help?
Children aged from 2 to 18 (including 18 year olds) if living with parent OR young people aged 20 and under if living independently with little or no support from their family.
- The child/young person must have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on:
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- their wellbeing
- their development and education
- Accessing early, primary, secondary or post 16 education/training for a minimum of 12 hours per week
- Living on a low income and experiencing financial hardship
- The family must have taken action to move on from risk or crisis and be actively engaging with support
Use our short eligibility guide to find out if you and the child/children/young person you are supporting are eligible for a Chances for Children grant.
What crises does Buttle UK support?
The child or young person must have experienced at least one of the following crises:
- Physical or sexual abuse
Child or young person has been physically or sexually abused, and are now working with services to support with the trauma they have experienced.
- Emotional abuse or neglect by parent/caregiver
Child or young person has been emotionally abused or neglected by a parent/caregiver over a long period of time, which has escalated to Child in Need/Child Protection level due to the severity of concerns. Cases that have been de-escalated from these levels due to progress being made will also be considered. - Domestic abuse
Child has experienced or been a direct victim of domestic abuse incident/s in the home, that has stopped due to one of the following interventions:- fled to a refuge
- accessed significant support from a domestic abuse agency to ensure their safety
- had their case heard at MARAC
- a Child Protection/Child in Need/Early Help plan put in place due to the severity of concerns
- Suffered violence, severe bullying, harassment or exploitation
Child or young person has suffered a violent crime, harassment, significant bullying, sexual or criminal exploitation, over a long period of time, either in school, in the community or online, which has led to significant changes in their life, such as Social Care, Police involvement or a school move. - Estranged, deserted or alienated from both parents
Child or young person has very little or no contact with either parents and are supporting themselves emotionally and financially. - Has a parent, caregiver or sibling who is receiving end of life care
A child or young person’s parent/caregiver or sibling is terminally ill, receiving end of life care, usually via a hospice or another health service.
- Death of a parent, caregiver or sibling
Death of child’s or young person’s parent, primary carer or sibling. - Experienced a sudden and traumatic life-changing incident
Child or young person is traumatised by a sudden incident which has drastically changed their life for which they are receiving support from an agency working in a related field.
Buttle UK is unable to support:
- Where poverty, poor housing or homelessness is the main issue
- Where the main reason is disability, ongoing chronic illness or the additional needs of a child or parent/caregiver. Please see other funders such as Family Fund Disability Grants
- Where family separation or ongoing contact arrangements are the main issue
- Looked After Children
What does Buttle UK fund?
We fund a package of support which should include items and activities to help improve children and young people’s wellbeing and increase their capacity to engage in education and learning.
View our Buttle UK guide to items and prices and what we do not fund
Applications must:
- Have consent and input from the parent/carer, children or young person
- Demonstrate a clear assessment of the emotional and learning needs of the children or young person
- Demonstrate how the items or activities applied for will address these needs
- Show how the grant fits with other support for the children or young person
Download our model for a successful grant application here.
Please note:
- All applications are reviewed on the information provided. Incomplete applications may be declined or delay assessment.
- Our support is complementary to statutory funding and not a substitute for it. We always expect that statutory funding has been exhausted first.
- We have a limited budget and will sometimes have to turn down grants that meet the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
We support children and young people facing significant challenges who require support from professionals. Our grants enhance this work as they are not sufficient on their own to create the necessary impact.
We work with local authorities, charities and a wide range of other services across the UK to ensure swift support reaches those most in need, especially where technology or language barriers exist.
We do not fund applications solely for a parent/carer with a child under two, as support is available through Health Visitors, Family Hubs, Sure Start Centres, and charities like Baby Banks.
Eligibility:
- Children aged 2-18 (including 18-year-olds) living with a parent/carer
- Young people 20 and under if living independently with minimal family support
Children and young people must be in education or training for at least 12 hours per week. For young people aged 20 and under, proof of course enrolment and attendance is required.
Buttle UK has limited funding, so we focus on those in greatest need. While we acknowledge the severe impact of issues such as poverty, poor housing, homelessness, family separation, ill health and disability, we cannot support all children and young people affected by these challenges. There are statutory services designed to help with these issues, and we encourage families to the seek relevant support.
‘Impact’ refers to the effects or results of an event. In this case, we are asking how the children are doing now after experiencing the crisis, and what has changed for them as a result. This will vary for each child and young person, but you may find it helpful to consider the following:
- Wellbeing: their behaviors at home, emotional regulation, overall presentation, how they’re feeling, interactions with friends, relationships with family members etc.
- Education and Learning: changes in their academic progress, school attendance, behavior towards staff and peers, ability to concentrate etc.
Following a crisis, a child or young person’s education/training is often disrupted. Our grants have the greatest impact when they are moving forward from a crisis rather than in the midst of one. Being engaged in education or training is a strong indicator that they have regained some stability and are beginning to recover from their experience.
Most children over the age of 2 who attend nursery, school or college or apprenticeships will be accessing more than 12hr education/training.
Buttle UK understands that every situation is unique, and how people understand “low income” varies. We aim to support families in the lowest 10% of UK incomes (before housing). Most rely on Universal Credit and Child Benefit, though some may receive disability benefits, maintenance payments, or earned income.
We consider factors like family size, location, employment, and crisis impact when assessing financial need. Our Grant Development Officers carefully review each application to ensure support reaches those who need it most, with transparency and fairness guiding every decision.
Use our Finance Information proforma to help you collect the information you need on the family/young person’s four-weekly income, debts and savings.
We do not support a child or young person when they are still in crisis – our grants help them re-build their lives following a crisis. We ask applications to be made when things have begun to stabilise around them, when they are engaging with support, and when the items and services requested will have the greatest impact.
Use our short eligibility guide to find out if you and the children/young person you are supporting are eligible for a Chances for Children grant.
If you are still unsure, please give us a call on 0207 828 3711 and ask to speak to someone in the Grants Team. Our Grant Development Officers will guide you prior to making an application. This does not mean that your application will be successful; the Grants Development Officers will assess the information you provide on the application form thoroughly, and give you a call to discuss if anything needs clarification prior to making a decision.
Grants Development Officers aim to assess and award/decline applications within 3 working days, but this can vary depending on how complete the information provided is, the availability of the person submitting the application to discuss it, and how busy Buttle UK is at that time. We would encourage you to only submit an application when you have capacity to to speak with a Grants Development Officer. Sometimes, we can come to a decision on the same day an application is submitted.
You can download the Chances for Children application form questions to help you draft your application.
You can also download the Finance Information proforma to help you collect the financial information needed
To better understand what you can request download Buttle UK – guide to item prices.
Talk to Us
If you still have questions or are unsure whether you are eligible for a grant, please call us on 020 7828 7311 and one of our Grants Development Officers will be happy to help. A five-minute phone call could save you a lot of time.
