'I don't know if I'm going home. I hope I am, but nobody's told me.'
Young person interviewed by The Who Cares? Trust for research about going home.
Some children can go home after a short stint in care - and for a percentage, that's the end of the outside intervention in their lives. But many find that the situation hasn't changed at home and that they are once more 'yo-yo-ing' back into the care system.
Research for our report 'The Journey Home' found a mixed picture. While some children had a carefully planned 'return', others were suddenly sent back because their foster placement had fallen through or failed. Some older children simply vote with their feet and return home to take their chances. This doesn't always work out.
There's an assumption that living with your birth family is the best place to be. But some research suggests that outcomes can be worse for children who return home rather than remaining in care.
The Who Cares? Trust,
Kemp House, 152-160 City Road,
London EC1V 2NP, UK,
Telephone: 020 7251 3117
Email: mailbox@thewhocarestrust.org.uk
The Who Cares? Trust is a registered charity (No. 1010518). A Company limited by guarantee. Registered in London (No. 2700693). VAT Reg. No. 577853091
Charity web design by Fat Beehive - Main photo by epidemya
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