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Our grants are designed for children and young people. To make sure support is safe, targeted and effective, we only accept applications from frontline professionals who:

• work directly with the child or young person
• understand their full needs
• can manage the grant responsibly

This means funding complements existing support and reaches the children who need it most, especially where families face barriers such as language, access or technology.

Specialist support already exists for families with children under two (Health Visitors, Family Hubs, Baby Banks).

We fund:

• children aged 2–18 living with a parent/carer
• young people aged 20 and under living independently with minimal family support

They must be in education or training for at least 12 hours per week.

Our funding is limited. We focus on children and young people whose wellbeing and education have been significantly disrupted by crisis.

Issues such as poverty, poor housing, illness or disability have a serious impact — but there are statutory services designed to respond to these. We prioritise situations where crisis has caused immediate, long-lasting harm.

We look at how the child is doing now and how the crisis has changed their behaviour, emotions and engagement with learning.

This may include:

• Wellbeing: mood, emotional regulation, relationships, behaviour at home or school
• Education: attendance, concentration, academic progress, interactions with staff and peers

Our grants have the greatest impact after a crisis, when a child is beginning to regain stability.

Being in education or training is a powerful indicator of recovery and means the items we fund support long-term progress.

We can fund estranged young people (20 and under) who are in education or training for 12+ hours per week. Evidence must include:

• their name and date of birth
• course name, level and provider
• start date/duration
• weekly hours
• attendance percentage

Support may be awarded in stages depending on circumstances. A Grants Development Officer will advise if your application is successful.

We aim to support families in the lowest 10% of UK incomes. 

In most cases, families must be eligible for Universal Credit, and we require a UC statement showing all elements.

We may also consider families who are:

• ineligible for benefits due to no recourse to public funds
• newly applying for benefits following kinship or care changes
• older kinship carers not covered by standard criteria

Every application is assessed individually, based on income, crisis impact and overall circumstances.

Use our Finance Information proforma to gather income, debts and savings details.

We fund children who are recovering from crises, not those still in the middle of one. Applications should be made when:

• things are beginning to stabilise
• the child or young person is engaging with support
• the items requested will have maximum impact

Use our short eligibility guide for a quick check.

If you’re still unsure, call us on 020 7828 7311 and ask for the Grants Team.

A Grants Development Officer can advise, but this does not guarantee a successful application.

We aim to assess and award/decline applications within 3 working days.

This depends on:

• the completeness of the information provided
• your availability to discuss the application
• current demand

In some cases, we can make a decision on the same day.

Make sure to submit your application only when you have time to speak with us.

You can download:

• the full application form questions
• the Finance Information proforma
• the guide to item prices

These will help you prepare a complete and accurate application.