It is awful to think so many vulnerable children have to tackle life without a strong adult figure they can confide in.
This week I announced that eleven local authorities, including North East Lincolnshire Council, have been allocated a share of the £13 million Home Office Trusted Relationships Fund - a scheme that attempts to intervene early if a child is at risk from abusive predators or being drawn into criminality.
I visited a Barnardo's project in Rotherham to see their crucial support for young people working with a trusted adult to raise their self-esteem and boost their resilience against people wanting to exploit them.