Life in care
Every year, around 6,000 children are taken into care, becoming part of a care population throughout the UK of around 75,000. For some it may be a relief, escaping abuse or neglect. Others will be split from their families with huge sadness when illness, poverty or overwhelming problems mean that parents can no longer look after their child.
Life for children in public care has changed significantly in the last three decades.
The biggest shift has been away from institutionalised, residential care towards foster care - and greater emphasis on trying to keep families together in the first place.
These days, around three-quarters of children in care are with foster families rather than in 'residential' care. The few thousand who live in children's homes now usually share with four or five children, as opposed to the large institutions of the past.
The care of these children is increasingly becoming more ‘holistic', with efforts to ensure they gain academic qualifications, life skills such as looking after their own health or dealing with finances, and the confidence to discuss problems with those in authority.
But there is still a very long way to go to close the gap in achievement and aspirations between children in care and their peers.
The good news
Many young people can and do come through the care system and go on to successful family lives and good jobs. Some will be permanently reunited with their birth families. Many have loving, dedicated foster carers and encounter social workers who go the extra mile to fight for the opportunities and support that make all the difference to a child in care. And new legislation, the Children and Young Person's Act 2008, means that some of the weaknesses in the current system are being eradicated. When the new act comes into force in 2010, children will have more rights and choices than ever before - and more chances to get an impartial listening ear if things go wrong.
The bad news
It's by no means a given, but children who spend time in the care system are less likely than other children to acheive academic success or benefit from stable relationships. They are more likely to get involved in crime, misuse drugs and have problems with mental health than their peers. This isn't just a legacy of pre-care experiences; research shows that life in care itself can contribute to instability.
Leaving the family home means that a child is entering a giant lottery, with their whole lives often at stake on the outcome. Can they be supported to return home? Will they find a stable foster care environment, stay for years and be encouraged academically? Or will they yo-yo in and out of care, repeatedly change school and home, before being ejected at 16, unhappy and alone, into a dodgy bed-and-breakfast?
The pages in this Life in Care section of our site take you on a journey through care - finding out what should happen in theory, and hearing from children, their carers and government agencies about how things work out in practice. The ultimate aim is a system that gives children all the opportunities, support and love of a good parent. Today, getting that level of help is still a matter of luck.