Our response to Government reforms to children’s social care 

With persistently high numbers of children in care and a system that is currently failing too many young people, it’s positive that the new Government recognise the urgency of taking action to address this.

Almost half of children in care are now living out of area. They are often moved overnight and without warning, sometimes as far as 500 miles away, separating them from brothers and sisters and pulling them out of school.

Become have been campaigning to ensure children in care are kept close to the people and places that matter to them, calling for national and local strategies to increase supply of appropriate local options and better data so we know the true scale of the problem and what is driving it. Today’s announcement includes welcome measures to start to tackle the lack of safe and suitable homes including greater oversight and location assessments to ensure homes are where children need them.

Katharine Sacks-Jones, CEO at Become, the national charity for children in care and young care leavers, says:

“We welcome the Government’s announcement to prioritise reform of children’s social care, which is long overdue – too many young people are being failed daily by a care system in crisis.

With almost half of children in care now living out of area and children still being placed in unregistered accommodation – even caravans, barges and tents – we’re pleased the Government plans to tackle this and the profiteering that has prioritised shareholders over young people’s lives.

No young person leaving care should have support stripped away when they turn 18, and these plans include steps in the right direction to end the care cliff so that young people are better supported into adulthood.

“It’s now crucial the detail behind these reforms and the funding underpinning them backs up the ambition so children in care aren’t let down once again”