"This report is a stark reminder of the realities facing children across the country: widening health inequalities, stalling vaccination rates and rising mental ill-health among them.
Responding to the RCPCH State of Child Health 2026 report, Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said:
"This report is a stark reminder of the realities facing children across the country: widening health inequalities, stalling vaccination rates and rising mental ill-health among them.
“Councils have embraced their public health responsibilities and continue to work hard to develop more integrated, place-based approaches to improving outcomes in early childhood and supporting families.
"But they do so under considerable financial pressure and challenging workforce shortages, with teams such as health visitors stretched ever thinner.
“We support the calls for child health to be made a national priority by the Government, alongside investment in children's preventative services and workforce, so every child has the best start in life."