--- title: "Children’s charities UK — compare & choose | CharityCompare" description: "Compare children’s charities in the UK: their work, financial evidence and donation checks. Explore profiles and questions to ask before giving." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities/children retrieved: 2026-09-20T13:35:06.030Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## How do I compare children’s charities? Children’s charities work on family support, safeguarding, education, health and disability. Compare the age group, programme and setting, and look for child-centred evidence and safeguarding arrangements alongside accounts. Start with the work ## What do children’s charities do? The same cause can involve very different services. Use these distinctions to choose what you want to support, then compare organisations doing similar work. 01 ### Family and early support Programmes can work with children, parents or whole families. **Evidence to look for**Check ages, referral routes and how families help define goals. 02 ### Protection and specialist services Specialist support may require assessment or a professional referral. **Evidence to look for**Ask about safeguarding, confidentiality and the responsible provider. 03 ### Education and opportunities Programmes may offer learning, activities or support for progression. **Evidence to look for**Distinguish attendance from progress, and look at barriers to participation. ## Choosing children’s charities to support Begin with the difference you want your donation to make. A useful shortlist brings together your priorities, the charity’s actual programme and evidence you can check. - ### 1. Match the organisation and appeal Check the registered name, charity number and official contact details on the profile and regulator link. Confirm that the appeal and payment destination belong to that organisation. Similar names, local branches and international affiliates can represent different legal entities. - ### 2. Read the evidence for the programme Look for a defined goal, the people or places reached, the reporting period and what changed. Ask whether the figures count unique people, repeated contacts or activities. Read limitations and follow-up, and distinguish a charity’s own report from an independent evaluation. - ### 3. Compare finances in context Check the accounts year, income, expenditure, reserves where disclosed and current registration context. Research grants, direct services and campaigning have different cost structures. Missing data does not mean zero spending, and a low overhead ratio does not prove stronger results. - ### 4. Check the terms of your gift Establish whether a donation supports general work or a named appeal. Check restrictions, what happens if plans change and any ongoing commitment before giving. Follow a trusted official link and keep the confirmation so you can refer back to the stated terms. [How to read impact evidence](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-read-charity-impact)[Understand Clarity Scores](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)[Find practical support](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/find-support) ## Sources and selection notes Organisation descriptions below support the attributed examples and provider information. The comparison questions are CharityCompare’s editorial guidance. Financial data comes from the dated filings identified on each profile. Read our [editorial responsibilities and interests](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/editorial-team) and [request a sourced correction](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/contact). Financial evidence ## Compare children’s charity ratings 1535 currently rated matches, showing the 12 highest Clarity Scores. Ordered by financial and disclosure score, with equal scores listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking of impact. Payment never changes scores. Matches use registered names and reported activities; confirm the particular programme on each profile. | Charity | Score | Cause spend | Income | Scope | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [AT A LOSS.ORG](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/at-a-loss-org) | 100 | 100% | £628k | UK-wide | | [BABY BASICS UK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/baby-basics-uk) | 100 | 99% | £798k | UK-wide | | [CHAPTER ONE (U.K.) LTD](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/chapter-one-u-k-ltd) | 100 | 97% | £1.8m | UK-wide | | [DOCTORS WORLDWIDE LTD](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/doctors-worldwide-ltd) | 100 | 98% | £867k | Local | | [Emmaus Transformation Trust](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/emmaus-transformation-trust) | 100 | 96% | £984k | Local | | [GREATWOOD CHARITY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/greatwood-charity-limited) | 100 | 91% | £851k | Local | | [HACKNEY QUEST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hackney-quest) | 100 | 92% | £827k | Local | | [HELP THE NEEDY CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/help-the-needy-charitable-trust) | 100 | 100% | £2.6m | Local | | [INTER CARE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/inter-care-limited) | 100 | 94% | £1.6m | Local | | [KIDS MATTER](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/kids-matter) | 100 | 90% | £892k | UK-wide | | [LOOK NATIONAL FEDERATION OF FAMILIES WITH VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/look-national-federation-of-families-with-visually-impaired-children) | 100 | 97% | £606k | UK-wide | | [OAC BUILDINGS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/oac-buildings) | 100 | 98% | £705k | Local | [Build your own side-by-side comparison](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities) Explore further ## More children’s charity profiles 3,943 additional basic profiles match our registered-name search, with up to 12 shown alphabetically. These profiles do not have a Clarity Score. A name match alone does not establish relevance, service availability or effectiveness. - ['on the Edge' Fusion Youth OrchestraRegistered charity № 1152503](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/on-the-edge-fusion-youth-orchestra) - ["off the Record" Youth Counselling CroydonRegistered charity № 1051144](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/off-the-record-youth-counselling-croydon) - [(UK) Children Aid Trust Fund BangladeshRegistered charity № 1112706](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/uk-children-aid-trust-fund-bangladesh) - [1st Place Children and Parents' Centre LTDRegistered charity № 1120124](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/1st-place-children-and-parents-centre-ltd) - [3 Villages Youth ProjectRegistered charity № 1104818](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/3-villages-youth-project) - [39 Youth ClubRegistered charity № 1202626](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/39-youth-club) - [4 Children and Family RespiteRegistered charity № 1205402](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/4-children-and-family-respite) - [4 the Youth LTDRegistered charity № 1144413](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/4-the-youth-ltd) - [4 Youth (Clitheroe) LTDRegistered charity № 1125827](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/4-youth-clitheroe-ltd) - [4 Youth BrightlingseaRegistered charity № 1136308](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/4-youth-brightlingsea) - [42nd Street - Community Based Resource for Young People Under StressRegistered charity № 702687](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/42nd-street-community-based-resource-for-young-people-under-stress) - [50001 Youth Training TrustRegistered charity № 1160783](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/50001-youth-training-trust) [Search the charity directory](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/search?q=Children%E2%80%99s) ## Children’s charities: your questions answered How should I assess impact claims from a children’s charity?+Look for clear definitions, appropriate consent, follow-up and limitations. Protecting children’s privacy may limit public case details; a lack of identifiable photographs or stories is not a reason to judge a service poorly. What do children’s charity ratings tell me?+CharityCompare Clarity Scores summarise financial and disclosure measures from the dated filings shown on each profile. They do not establish programme effectiveness, clinical quality or the suitability of a service for an individual. Read the accounts period, missing-data notes and regulatory context before using a score. How are charities included in this comparison?+Rated profiles are matched against registered names and activities reported on the register; basic profiles are matched by registered name. These automated matches can miss relevant work or include a different focus. Our 1535 rated matches and 3,943 additional basic matches are not an official UK-wide count. Check each charity’s actual activities.