Chances for Children Grants

Chances for Children grants are individually tailored grants of up to £2,000 for children and young people who have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on their social and emotional wellbeing and educational engagement.

We only accept applications from frontline professionals (from a registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation):

• who are working directly with the children/young person
• ideally, have carried out at least one home visit
• and have made a full assessment of the children’s or young person’s needs

If successful, the professional will need to manage the funds, upload receipts and complete an evaluation survey.

What do we fund?

We fund holistic packages of support for children and young people that can include, but are not limited to:

• Items and activities to support learning and development such as laptops, books, 12 months of broadband, educational toys, tuition, etc.
• Clothing and school uniforms
• Social, sporting and leisure activities
• Family activities
• Items for children/young people’s bedrooms

Other household items that are not available from sources such as Emergency Essentials or Local Authority welfare schemes, etc.

Children and young people must meet ALL criteria:

• Be children or a young person aged 18 and under, if living with parent/carer, OR 20 and under if living independently, with little or no support from their family
• Be living on a low income and experiencing financial hardship
• The children and young people have experienced a crisis that has recently had a significant and enduring impact on all three of the following:
• their social wellbeing
• their emotional wellbeing
• and their educational engagement
• The family or young person has recently taken action to improve their situation, are actively engaging with support and are moving on from the crisis.

We are unable to help

• Children and young people where poverty is the only factor
• Where family separation is the only factor
• Looked After Children living in foster or residential care
• Children and young people who continue to be in crisis and at serious risk
• Children and young people living or normally residing outside of the UK
• Where the main reason is disability or ongoing serious illness of a child. Please see other funders such as Family Fund Disability Grants.