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Forces Children’s Rights Charter

“Our message is clear: hear us, involve us, and support us. This charter isn’t just about making life better for forces kids today it’s about ensuring that those who come after us have their rights respected too. Let’s turn these promises into actions that make a real difference.”

– Cadence

Babies, children and young people in armed forces families live extraordinary lives. Their experiences help them develop courage, adaptability and energy.

However, we must not mistake these strengths as meaning armed forces children do not need support and advocacy. All children thrive when the adults and systems around them listen, care and act on what they are told.

The Forces Children’s Rights Charter, co-produced with children and young people, aims to champion the rights of babies, children and young people from forces families and drive forward positive change.

In the words of Cadence, one of the young people who helped create the charter: “This is more than a document; it’s a representation of our ideas, stories, and vision for the future. It’s a message that forces kids deserve fairness, recognition, and support.”

Here are the ten essential rights for children from Armed Forces families.

Click the arrows below to scroll through the Forces Children’s Rights Charter.

“The process of making the charter included a lot of children and young people’s thoughts and feelings. It allowed us to have our say on the importance of children’s rights, whilst also educating us in the process.” – Erin

Charter Posters

Here are posters showcasing the Forces Children’s Rights Charter, for both primary and secondary school audiences.

If you would like to order a free poster for your setting, just let us know!

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Primary School Poster

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Secondary School Poster

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What is the UNCRC?

The UNCRC stands for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This important, legally binding treaty protects children’s rights in almost 200 countries, including the UK.

The Convention is made up of 54 articles, reflecting children’s universal experiences and needs. In drafting our Charter, we considered how these articles are essential for ensuring the wellbeing of children and young people from forces families.

Here’s a resource that can teach you about what’s included in the UNCRC.

Learn more

Rights Report: It’s not just their job, it’s our whole lives

In 2024, Scotland incorporated the UNCRC into Scots Law. This development inspired us to start speaking more about children’s rights and co-produce a report on what’s needed to protect the rights of children and young people from armed forces families.

Here’s a webpage where you can learn more about this project and access the final report.

Read the report

 

The most important part of this work, both the Rights Report and the Forces Children’s Rights Charter, is how it reflects the voices and experiences of the children and young people.