Action for Children
Action for Children is a UK-registered charity founded in 1869 that supports vulnerable children, young people, and families through 342 local services across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its portfolio spans fostering, adoption, nurseries, family support, and digital services including Parent Talk and Sidekick.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1869
- HeadquartersWatford, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Action for Children does
Action for Children is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1097940 in England and Wales, SC038092 in Scotland) incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, headquartered in Watford with regional offices in Glasgow, Cardiff, and Belfast. Originally founded in 1869 as the National Children's Home (NCH) and later rebranded to its present name, the organization has operated for 156 years. It delivers its mission through 342 local services across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a workforce of 1,001-5,000 employees.
The charity's service portfolio spans fostering (recruiting and supporting foster families in all four UK nations), adoption, early-years nurseries (operated through the wholly-owned subsidiary Action for Children Developments Ltd, trading as Spring Nurseries), and community-based family support. Digital and remote services include Parent Talk (free online parenting advice for parents of children aged 0-19, with expert articles and 1:1 live chat with qualified parenting coaches) and Sidekick (a confidential text-message support service for young carers aged 13-18). The organization also pursues policy and advocacy work on child poverty, including research collaborations with bodies such as the Institute for Public Policy Research.
Action for Children is funded through a diversified mix: individual donations (one-off and recurring, with Gift Aid), challenge-event fundraising (e.g., London Marathon, Great North Run, Boycott Your Bed), corporate partnerships (B&Q Foundation, Dell, John Lewis Partnership, Nationwide, Starling Bank, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, among others), legacy gifts, government contracts from local authorities for fostering and commissioned child welfare programmes, and commercial revenue from Spring Nurseries. The organization reports that 84p of every £1 spent goes directly to helping children and families. In 2024/25, it reports helping 551,400 children, young people, and families. No revenue figure is disclosed in available sources.
Action for Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Action for Children
- Legal name
- Action for Children
- Website
- https://actionforchildren.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1869
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Action for Children is a UK-registered charity founded in 1869 that supports vulnerable children, young people, and families through 342 local services across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its portfolio spans fostering, adoption, nurseries, family support, and digital services including Parent Talk and Sidekick.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Action for Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Social Services
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child Care Services (62441)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)
Keywords
Where Action for Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Watford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Action for Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Includes Gift Aid scheme for tax reclamation on eligible donations.
- Fundraising Events: Revenue from challenge events such as London Marathon (requiring £125 entry donation and £2,600 fundraising target), community fundraising, and corporate events.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporate sponsors including B&Q Foundation, Dell, John Lewis Partnership, Nationwide, Starling Bank, and others who provide financial and promotional support.
- Legacy Gifts: Gifts left in wills by supporters. The charity has received legacy gifts for over 150 years and provides specific guidance for executors on legacy administration.
- Government Contracts: Funding from local authorities for fostering services and commissioned child welfare programmes across the UK.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual one-time or recurring donations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | London Marathon 2027 charity place |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Action for Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Action for Children is a UK children's charity that delivers direct services to vulnerable children, young people, and families, including fostering and adoption, nurseries, family support, mental health support, and youth advocacy programmes. It supplements service delivery with policy and campaigning work on issues such as child poverty, and funds its mission through donations, fundraising, corporate partnerships, and government-commissioned contracts.
Product overview
Action for Children is a leading UK children's charity offering a broad portfolio of practical, emotional, and advocacy services. The core offerings include fostering and adoption services across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; 342 local community services; nurseries under the Spring Nurseries brand; and specialist programmes including Parent Talk (online parenting coaching and advice), Sidekick (confidential text support for young carers aged 13–18), and Youth Voice advocacy. Fundraising channels include online donations, regular giving, challenge events (e.g., London Marathon), the annual Secret Santa Christmas Appeal, Boycott Your Bed campaign, corporate partnerships, legacy giving, and workplace payroll giving. The charity operates under a charitable structure (registered in England & Wales No. 1097940 / SC038092) and has been active since 1869, having evolved from the National Children's Home.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Action for Children Fostering: The fostering arm of the charity that recruits and supports foster families across the UK in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
- Spring Nurseries
Products and services
- Action for Children Fostering
Quantifiable outcome
- 551,400 children, young people and families helped in 2024/25
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Action for Children
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Action for Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Action for Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- B&Q FoundationcoreCorporate partner providing financial support and potentially in-kind contributions to Action for Children's community programmes.
- DellcoreCorporate technology partner supporting Action for Children through charitable donations and employee engagement.
- John Lewis PartnershipcoreMajor UK retailer partnership providing financial support and potentially workplace giving opportunities for employees.
- Nationwide Building SocietycoreBuilding society corporate partner supporting Action for Children through charitable donations and fundraising.
- Starling BankcoreDigital bank partnership supporting Action for Children through corporate giving programme.
- Iceland Foods Charitable FoundationcoreLead partner for Secret Santa Christmas campaign, providing significant funding for Christmas appeal to support children in poverty.
- Turner & TownsendminorProfessional services firm corporate partner supporting Action for Children through donations and employee fundraising.
- Kier GroupminorConstruction and infrastructure company corporate partner for Action for Children.
- Ella's KitchenminorChildren's food brand partnership supporting Action for Children.
- Jojo Maman BebeminorBaby and children's retailer partnership supporting Action for Children.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Action for Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Barnardo's: Barnardo's is the UK's largest children's charity, operating fostering, adoption, family support and mental health services across the UK. It is the most direct comparable to Action for Children given overlapping service portfolio, UK-wide footprint, and similar reliance on donations and statutory contracts.
- NSPCC: The NSPCC is the UK's leading child protection charity, running safeguarding helplines, therapeutic services, and prevention programmes. Comparable to Action for Children in donor-funded operating model and overlap on neglect, abuse and child protection work.
- The Children's Society: The Children's Society runs UK-wide services for disadvantaged children including exploitation prevention, mental health support, and young carers programmes - the latter directly overlapping Action for Children's Sidekick service. Comparable in mission, fundraising model and beneficiary base.
- Home-Start UK: Home-Start supports families with young children through volunteer-led home visiting and family support. Directly comparable to Action for Children's early years and parenting support segments, including its Parent Talk online coaching service.
- National Children's Bureau: NCB is a UK children's charity and policy body covering early years, disability, youth justice and child welfare. Comparable to Action for Children on advocacy, research-led influence (similar to AfC's IPPR collaborations), and breadth of family/children services.
- TACT (The Adolescent & Children's Trust): TACT is a UK fostering and adoption charity operating across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Directly comparable to Action for Children Fostering on fostering service model, therapeutic support, and transfer-in recruitment from other agencies.
- Family Action: Family Action is a UK charity delivering early years, family support, mental health and social services. Comparable to Action for Children on broad family services portfolio and reliance on local-authority commissioning and donations.
- Spurgeons Children's Charity: Spurgeons operates family support, fostering and prison-visiting children's services across the UK. Directly comparable to Action for Children on fostering, family support, and faith-rooted charity heritage, though smaller in scale.
Emerging players
- Place2Be: Place2Be provides school-based mental health counselling and emotional support for children. Overlaps with Action for Children on children's mental health and wellbeing, but narrower scope focused on schools-based delivery rather than community/fostering services.
- Together for Short Lives: Together for Short Lives is a UK charity supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Adjacent to Action for Children's families-with-disabled-children segment with overlapping family support and respite themes but a more specialized beneficiary cohort.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Action for Children social profiles
Digital presenceAction for Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Action for Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Action for Children subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Action for Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Action for Children M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Action for Children
What does Action for Children do?
Action for Children is a UK children's charity that delivers direct services to vulnerable children, young people, and families, including fostering and adoption, nurseries, family support, mental health support, and youth advocacy programmes. It supplements service delivery with policy and campaigning work on issues such as child poverty, and funds its mission through donations, fundraising, corporate partnerships, and government-commissioned contracts.
Is Action for Children a public or private company?
Action for Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Action for Children founded?
Action for Children was founded in 1869. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Action for Children based?
Action for Children is headquartered in Watford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Action for Children make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are fundraising Events, corporate Partnerships, legacy Gifts and government Contracts.
Who are Action for Children's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Barnardo's, NSPCC, The Children's Society, Home-Start UK, National Children's Bureau, TACT (The Adolescent & Children's Trust), Family Action and Spurgeons Children's Charity. Emerging players are Place2Be and Together for Short Lives.
Does Action for Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for Action for Children.
What industry is Action for Children in?
Action for Children's product category is Children's Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAE, Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services, with a secondary code of BPAGABAG, Child Protection & Child Rights. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 8300.