Recent events have seen children go through unprecedented times – the pandemic with its months of isolation and lockdowns.

And now, families are facing another major shock as soaring inflation looks set to plunge even more households into poverty with spiralling prices and worries about housing, food and heating.

Yes, there is a cost of living crisis going on, but we are also looking at a crisis in our children’s well-being.

Earlier this year, we surveyed parents and asked them how they felt about the cost of living crisis.

Over 85 per cent of parents and carers said they were worried about how the crisis will affect their families in the next twelve months; over a third of parents and carers told us that they already struggled with the costs of school trips and uniforms during the previous year.

Here at the Children’s Society, we run many services that work very closely with children and young people and we have had startling feedback and insights from our staff and practitioners where they explain how young people talk about how the cost of living crisis is affecting them.

Often young people reveal that they are not able to go out at all. Some haven't got money for a mobile phone or access to Wi-Fi in the family home.

Young people are facing things they shouldn’t be. They shouldn’t have to be wondering if when they go home will they eat today, or thinking I better eat as much as I can at school because they know there might not be any food at home. They are telling us that their parents have not eaten. Food scarcity obviously affects children negatively but it can also have longer lasting impacts that may follow young people throughout their lives.

It's clear that the scale and impact of this crisis on children cannot be underestimated. We are looking at far reaching effects on a generation of young people being brought up in poverty.

The Children’s Society’s previous research on the Debt Trap found that nine in 10 parents were in arrears on at least one household bill or credit commitment and that they cut back on necessities for their children.

Going without essentials can affect a child’s physical, mental and educational development and the effects can stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Another headline from the Good Childhood Report earlier this year showed that an estimated 562,000 10–15 year olds are unhappy with school.

Now, I’m sure you will agree with me how worrying it is that children appear to be getting more unhappy with their lives. School is a place where children spend so much of their time, and frankly, it’s troubling that when we looked at the data for 2019/20, we found that children (aged 10 to 15) in low income households were less happy with school and schoolwork when compared to those children in higher income households.

This is even more concerning when we know that the cost of living is rising. Schools are a vital piece in the puzzle to influence children’s well-being, but of course they need more support.

Teachers need help in spotting the early signs a child is struggling and there needs to be a far quicker roll-out of mental health support teams to all schools.

It’s a national shame that nearly a third of our children are living in poverty. Our organisation supports children and families, so we can see what is happening out there on the ground and we are scandalised at the idea that the government may row back on its promise that benefits will keep pace with inflation.

Many families are already finding it hard to heat their homes and have enough food on the table, they need more help with the cost of living emergency, not less. I am urging you along with our thousands of supporters at The Children’s Society to join the many voices already speaking out and push the government to do the right thing. We cannot let the cost-of-living crisis cost children their childhoods.

As a society, we should want to give every child the best possible start in life, but we’re currently letting over 4.3 million children down. This isn’t only morally wrong, it is expensive. Child poverty is also estimated to cost our economy £38bn a year. If the government truly wants to push for economic growth, then investing in social security for our country’s future is a smart place to start. We need a permanent boost to welfare support targeting children and families such as a significant rise in Child Benefits. We have to invest in our children now to ensure we protect every childhood, improve their well-being and set them up for a future they deserve.

Mark Russell is the chief executive of the Children’s Society.

How there is also a crisis in children’s wellbeing alongside the cost of living crisis - Mark Russell