We're no longer shouting into the void
Georgia (she/her), a campaigner with Become the Movement, shares her experience of giving evidence to the Education Select Committee and having her voice heard.
Along with other care-experienced young people, I recently gave evidence to the House of Commons Education Committee on what it was like growing up in care. The opportunity came through being part of Become’s End The Care Cliff campaign group, which is calling for an end to the expectation of ‘independence’ asked of young people as they turn 18.
The morning of the Committee, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement, determined to make my words count. Staying at a hotel the night before and meeting another young person from the campaign group, Lamar, and Matt, and Clare from Become helped calm my nerves. At Portcullis House where the committee rooms are based, we were relieved to have queue passes and spent the extra time preparing with committee staff. The formal committee room was daunting, but sitting at the table with MPs helped me feel more comfortable and connected. Knowing my friends and family were watching live reminded me of my strong support system.
MPs asked about key issues—health, housing, education, mental health, and relationships. I struggled to keep answers short, wanting to cover everything: stable relationships, housing struggles, mental health support, kinship care, and the need for a National Care Offer. Thankfully, MPs extended the session, showing genuine engagement. Afterward, they spoke with us personally, expressing empathy and frustration at our experiences. We later heard they were fired up to push for change. What started as anxiety turned into relief, pride, and hope—one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.
Wins like the National Care Offer, mental health support in assessments, and extended corporate parenting duties show that change is happening. While there’s still more to be done, I’m hopeful these monumental reforms will be implemented.
⎯⎯ Georgia, campaigner with Become the Movement
National media coverage
After giving evidence, The Guardian published an opinion piece referencing the session, titled – The Guardian view on the care experience: looked-after children and care leavers must be heard. In this article, they state that public awareness of the vulnerability of children separated from their parents is not new and that research shows that a child who experiences care usually has adverse experiences later in life, such as homelessness and even prison time.
But they state that these outdated views are being updated by the increased visibility of campaigners and activists. Campaigners and activists like me.
I wrote the letter below to the Editor of The Guardian to share my views on their opinion piece:
As one of the young people supported by the charity Become to give evidence to the Education Select Committee last week in their Inquiry into Children’s Social Care, I fully agree with your editorial that ‘looked after children and care leavers must be heard.’ For too long, it’s felt like we’ve been shouting into the void.
When I left care, I had to choose between secure social housing or going to university. I was in care in London but didn’t want to stay locally because I’d experienced so much trauma there.
Deciding to move to Nottingham to study was immensely difficult, as I had to sacrifice my entitlement to council housing at just 18. Now I’m trapped in expensive, unstable private renting. Having moved 10 times already, I just want security to settle and build my future.
The Government’s new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to improve the safety net for care leavers, but there are still too many holes. The biggest is the absence of young people’s voices in assessments for care leaver support. Failing to listen to care-experienced young people now is another missed opportunity to fix the care system.
Continuing the conversation online
Become shared clips of our evidence session on their socials and it’s been a bit of a shock how much interaction they’ve received, though it’s really encouraging to know that there are so many #VoicesThatCare (our theme for Care Day 2025!) about care-experienced young people (CEYPs). It felt odd at first (and even a bit embarrassing – who likes the sound of their own voice?!). But the more interaction we saw, the more I felt grateful that we were provided with the platform through which our testimonies could reach others and facilitate the wider discourse.
So many people—CEYPs, foster carers, social care professionals, and fellow campaigners—have shared their experiences and reached out, showing just how widespread these issues are. It’s been incredibly validating to see professionals, activists, and even old friends engaging with our work, proving that speaking out was worth it. We even created a ‘Get Ready With Me (GRWM)’ video for Become’s socials to share the journey of the Committee session.
Most excitingly, our testimony has led to real policy progress — MPs have tabled amendments, based on our evidence! Wins like the National Care Offer, mental health support in assessments, and extended corporate parenting duties show that change is happening. While there’s still more to be done, I’m hopeful these monumental reforms will be implemented. This journey has been profound, and I’m beyond grateful to be part of it.
