Dear Member,

It’s a great pleasure to be writing to you with news that CfC is on the move, and that a number of significant initiatives are developing and coming together. We appreciate your support and would value your comments and suggestions.

First, the Children Webmag is now operating under our management. The January issue was the first produced by us, and a lot of work went into the design, information, and content. It is still edited by David Lane, with Bill Stevenson as the designer, as it was before, but there is now what we have termed a Web Operations Team responsible for the whole operation and reporting directly to the Council of CfC. We have appointed personnel to develop the advertising of the webmag, and the first responses have been encouraging. We have funding for the next six months, and there are indications that we may receive a further grant from a UK charitable trust. We are monitoring hits carefully and were delighted when we passed the two million mark. This means that we now have a major vehicle for communicating with our members, for expressing and advocating our views on behalf of children and young people, and for giving those who care for children a real voice.

Then, we are actively participating in the planning of the FICE Congress to be held in Glasgow in 2004, supporting FICE-Scotland, who will be the hosts. This will be an important event not only for the UK, but also for professionals in child care worldwide. The theme, A Place for Children, is one that we suggested, and provides the opportunity for some creative and radical thinking and reflection. With the webmag and our links with FICE we envisage that the event will make a significant impact on the care scene, and provide CfC with the publicity among carers that will increase our membership and influence.

The third focus of our attention is the initiative called Momentum, launched in 2001 to encourage the development of quality child care in England and Wales. CfC is actively seeking to move the process forward.

Last year your Council decided to change the mission statement of CfC to the phrase that appears in the by-line to this letterhead. We are committed to campaigning for quality services for children. We have an active Council, a first-rate means of communication, and opportunities for growth and development. Our vision is that the carers should have a consistent and reliable means of voicing their concerns and ideas so that the care of children and young people improves. We are an independent organisation, not tied to any government or larger body, and we can therefore be fearless and radical in our proposals. This is what has been lacking for a long time in England and Wales and we believe CfC is well placed to make a difference. We are pioneering the concept of an organisation that exists in a new way, communicating via an electronic magazine. Our hope is that the time will come when a major proportion of those working in child care will feel they belong to the CfC movement.

Please let us have your reactions and thoughts, either to me in writing or via the Webmag. The Council will be meeting next on 20th May and will consider carefully the views of all members. It’s an exciting time, and we sense that a movement for change is beginning to develop. We are grateful to you for encouraging us, and making all this possible. The time has probably come when you can encourage your colleagues to join us too!

If you would like to join us and contribute to the movement, click here.

Sincerely,

Keith J. White

All responses - mail or electronic communications - for Keith White can be forwarded via the Webmag. See Below