The Hidden Cost of Lockdown: Listening to Children’s Voices at Last
Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 on Children
This autumn sees a month of dedicated hearings investigating the impact of the pandemic on children and young people in Module 8 of the Covid-19 Public Inquiry, held in London from 29 September to 23 October 2025. For the last few years, many in the children’s sector, including myself, have raised serious concerns about government decisions that affected babies, children, and young people, making this a long-awaited event.
During my time at Save the Children UK, I had the sobering privilege of contributing to the Children’s Rights Organisations’ efforts to make sure that the Covid-19 Inquiry listened to children’s experiences and voices, particularly those seldom heard – those of babies and young children, children with special educational needs and disabilities, children in care, or in the justice system, and the ever-growing number of children experiencing poverty in the UK.
Attending the hearings, I have been moved by the devastating evidence on how school closures, reductions, and changes to social care and family services and outdoor restrictions impacted children and thwarted their right to play, learn, and socialise for such prolonged periods in their young lives. But I am deeply frustrated that the extent of harm caused to children, especially those in vulnerable circumstances, could have been avoided if children and their rights had been prioritised and if experts representing children had been adequately consulted.
We must continue to ask what alternative actions could have been taken to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on children, rather than solely accepting the rationale for emergency measures. The Inquiry reveals what the latest research and evidence from children shows and offers lessons for society to better prepare for future pandemics and national emergencies. But not only that – it scrutinises the systems in place, and the accountability of those in charge. The hearings include compelling appeals for the recognition and acknowledgment of all children’s sacrifices, with an emphasis on ensuring that these sacrifices are not made in vain.
Children’s Voices
The hearings opened with a recording of quotes from children and young people highlighting how school closures brought an abrupt halt to daily life, and with it the curtailment of play and the milestones and rites of passage for children as they transition through key stages of their childhood and to adulthood.
I am not shocked by what was shared, having been involved in preparations for the hearings, but hugely saddened by the individual personal accounts of children, young people, and parents caring for young children. One child describes lockdown as an “empty space” in their childhood, and another describes how they were “too panicked to learn”. Some children expressed how they felt left behind and even blamed for spreading the virus.
Not surprisingly, school closures were featured as hugely detrimental to children’s lives. During the hearings, professionals speak of the critical importance of school not just for education but as a lifeline for many children’s basic needs of safety, socialisation, and daily sustenance — we learn of the catastrophic impact of prolonged time out of school and the lasting effects on children’s mental health as well as their learning and overall development.
Children’s Voices Not Heard in Decision-Making
Children’s rights advocates have criticised the government for ignoring children’s voices and experiences. Baroness Longfield gave powerful evidence from her time as the Children’s Commissioner for England during the first year of the pandemic. She explained how she repeatedly raised concerns and provided comprehensive data from her team about the scale of vulnerability of children across the country, but that this did not result in children’s best interests being adequately considered by the government.
Concerns raised included:
- The loosening of local authority duties to children in care, which carried huge risks in safeguarding and were unnecessary in Baroness Longfield’s view, for example, the relaxing of face-to-face visits for children and the regularity with which they would be seen by social workers.
- Although schools were asked to prioritise vulnerable children’s attendance during the pandemic, fewer than 20% attended. More could have been done to positively encourage the take-up of this offer to support children with special educational needs and disabilities and children in care or in other vulnerable circumstances.
The Children’s Commissioner role can be viewed as the “eyes and ears of children”, designed to represent the best interests of children, particularly the most vulnerable. And yet Baroness Longfield reports that she was informed of rather than consulted on significant decisions, including school closures, that went on to have life-changing impacts on children. The investigations also examine why contingency planning was not completed before the likely school closures and highlight confusion over who was responsible. Children were not represented adequately in the sphere of decision-making, and this was a systemic failing with huge consequences.
The Cost to Children
Ultimately, the pandemic deprived children and young people of everyday aspects of their lives (to play outside, be with friends, and to learn in school) and fundamentally challenged what it means to be a child.
The Centre for Young Lives 2025 State of Childhood Vulnerability report, referenced by Baroness Longfield, shows the stark realities for children since the pandemic:
- Disparities and inequalities have widened, with more than 4.5 million children recorded as living in relative poverty in the year to April 2024 after housing costs, representing almost a third of children.
- Just under 400,000 children were identified as children in need in 2024, showing an increase since 2020.
- A steep 34% increase since 2017/18 in children having a special educational need, and an increase of 118% in children identified as having autism in 2023/24.
- A significant rise in mental health issues among children and youth — the prevalence of children with a diagnosable mental health problem has doubled since 2017, with 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8–16 having a diagnosable mental health condition in 2023, up from 1 in 10 in 2017.
Transforming Lessons into Action
The pandemic has made it clear how vital childhood is, and that children’s voices — their needs, views, and what’s important to them — should be considered in decisions impacting them.
So what are Children’s Rights Organisations recommending?
During the pandemic, the government’s focus on children’s rights completely diminished. It is now imperative to enshrine these rights into UK law by incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in full, making Children’s Rights Impact Assessments a statutory requirement for all new legislation.
There should be a reconsideration of who represents all children at the highest levels of government to ensure that their interests are neither overlooked nor marginalised. Establishing a Cabinet Minister for Children, with cross-departmental responsibility and authority to uphold and promote children’s best interests, is an urgent and necessary step.
To hear Baroness Longfield’s oral submission and to read the Centre for Young Lives’ 2025 State of Childhood Vulnerability report, visit: Centre for Young Lives.
To read more about the impact of COVID-19 on babies and young children, visit Save the Children’s Early Years Knowledge Bank.
Disclaimer: This blog has been written by Lucy Williams, Independent Children’s Consultant, as part of our Guest Contributor series. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Good Play Guide or Dr Gummer’s Good Play Guide Ltd. While every effort has been made to ensure factual accuracy at the time of publication, the information provided is for general interest and should not be taken as professional or policy advice.