Over the years we have discovered a range of diverse and thought provoking websites, news feeds, organisations and government initiatives which offer some of the best information available on child welfare.

We thought we would set down a selection for you below, to refresh your library if you’re looking for new resources or just to remind you of the gems you may have forgotten as the internet becomes a busier place. And none of it will cost you a dime.

What’s Law Got To Do With It?

Staying on top of legal changes can be hard, but Parliament’s comms team has done an amazing job of updating the government’s main website to make sure you never miss a breaking development. Whether you’re looking for information on the progress of a child welfare related Bill, or want to read the latest debate on children’s policy, this is your go-to site. Here are a few links from Parliament UK which we recommend:

• The Parliamentary Calendar – check out what’s going on in the Commons and the Lords.
• Parliament TV – Watch live and recorded debates on child welfare.
• Hansard – Read excellent transcripts of meetings, and search for topics, members and petitions. One of our favourite sections, it is brilliantly done.
• E Mail updates – a very good service, which allows you to choose what kind of updates you receive as soon as they’re published.

For free access to case law, British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) remains unrivalled. You can search by court, case citation, title, and keyword and it never lets you down.

And don’t forget to subscribe to GOV.UK’s updates, which are usually ahead of the curve.

Read All About It!

A surprise new addition to our reading list, The Brief at The Times, has begun to feature child welfare stories in its daily bulletins. The coverage is informative and engaging and the digital publication has done well to respond to the growing interest in this area. Despite more controversial coverage on the The Times’ main platform, The Brief is part of The Times Law, making it much more fastidious in the way it reports. Much of the newsletter is free, with some items being offered as Premium content. We declare an interest in The Brief as we have provided comment in the past for them. If you’re on Twitter, follow editor @JudgeJohnHack, for news as it happens.

Who Cares?

For balanced and professional reporting of issues within the social work sector which affect children, few mainstream publications are as well informed as Community Care. A magazine dedicated to social work, you can expect the publication to champion social work from time to time, but it isn’t shy to call out poor practice either, and it is this sense of fair play that makes it our number one choice for all things child protection in the sector.

For a very good roundup of the latest research, case law and child welfare stories, Family Law Week’s monthly newsletter is also very much worth signing up to.

Campaign, Campaign, Campaign

We’ve saved the best for last. Whilst media outlets and established digital publications offer superb coverage of the latest child rights news, many of these stories start out life underground, or on websites and blogs that seldom get the attention they deserve. Here are some of the best sites out there, championing children, transparency and accountability in government and beyond.

The Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children is a powerful movement in the field of child rights. Made up of some of the most influential and high profile child welfare campaigners running global children’s charities and pioneering ground breaking research, it was launched in Geneva in 2001 and is supported by UNICEF, UNESCO and several international NGOs. Their newsletters are excellent and a must read for anyone serious about improving the lives of children everywhere. We declare an interest here too, as a member of the project.

Another organisation offering child rights information, this time through a women’s rights focused lens, is Gender Hopes. Dedicated to combatting gender based violence, the website offers publications, projects and resources which look at violence around the world. Sign up to their newsletter at the top of the website’s page for a convenient digest that comes straight to you.

For information about the latest developments around child sexual abuse and the independent inquiry in England and Wales, Cathy Fox Blog is a well established and respected platform which offers important updates in this area.

We hope you find these sites as interesting and helpful as we do.