Kids Matter partners with churches to deliver our parenting programme to parents living within more disadvantaged communities.
Our aim is to give mums, dads and carers the tools to build strong families…because we care. We care about the children in our nation who are growing up without hope because the people around them simply didn’t know how to do better. We would love parents and children to experience the joy of family in spite of the hurt and hardship that is part of life for so many. We believe that the best way to help families and children with our parenting programme is through The Church.
Why The Church? Whilst Kids Matter is a Christian organisation, our parenting programme is without agenda or religious affiliation. It is for people of all religions and none. And yet the church is an important part of our strategy to help children flourish. There are reasons for this.
The Church offers a physical presence in the community. This is the UK; there is a church around every corner – the physical building is a place of refuge for many, with churches hosting foodbanks, homeless shelters and meal times amongst other support projects. The Church has great organisational capacity, arranging relief support or long-term support meeting needs (like debt, hunger etc.) and has trusted relationships within local communities. Kids Matter hopes to support children by connecting with parents who are living in isolation; who might’ve been forgotten and are doing parenting alone, without the support of community members and services. Relationship is crucial to reaching these families. The incarnational ministry of The Church prioritises these types of relationships.
The Church were the quiet people who allowed others to be angry and sad.
This is a quote from a superintendent, spoken in the aftermath of Grenfell. It’s a great reminder of the church’s role as a catalyst; a safe space to express raw emotions, also offering pastoral and physical support. The Church represents truth, justice, health and reconciliation. It’s open and flexible – ready to serve.
Kids Matter is currently in partnership with 50 churches and we are seeing the impact of the model we have chosen to use to make a difference in the lives of children and families. It is through these partnerships that we have been able to train 65 facilitators (to run Kids Matter groups in their community) and have reached 1000+ children, with 92 per cent of parents agreeing that our programme has helped them.
If you’d like to find out more about Kids Matter or would like to get involved, as a volunteer or by financially supporting our programme, please contact us at info@kidsmatter.org.uk. And for more on our IMPACT, click here.