👶 Children in Care

Westminster Hall

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In a gripping parliamentary debate on children in care, John Whitby, a seasoned foster carer, highlighted a stark 28% increase in children entering care since 2010, attributing this surge to rising poverty and a housing crisis. He criticized the drastic reduction in early help services like Sure Start, which he argued could have prevented many children from needing care, costing the state less and improving outcomes. The debate also exposed a crisis in foster care placements, driving up costs and forcing children into distant, expensive residential homes. Minister Janet Daby responded, outlining the government’s plan to reform the care system, increase funding for kinship care, and address the dysfunctional placement market to better support vulnerable children.

Summary

  • Increase in Children in Care: The number of children in care has risen by 28% since 2010, with a 102% increase in children in residential care during the same period. The increase partly results from more unaccompanied asylum seekers entering care.

  • Causes of Increase: Factors contributing to the rise include increased poverty and a housing crisis, as highlighted by a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report showing 3.8 million people, including 1 million children, experiencing destitution in 2022. Additionally, the withdrawal of universal early help services, notably Sure Start, has been significant. Spending on early help is now £1.8 billion less per year than in 2010.

  • Impact of Early Help Services: The loss of early help services, which provided crucial support to families, has led to increased spending on residential placements for children, now exceeding the budget for early help. Studies show that early intervention services like Sure Start saved significant costs to the NHS.

  • Foster Care and Residential Placements: The number of foster families has not increased, despite efforts to recruit more, leading to a reliance on residential placements. This shift is attributed to the high cost of independent residential placements compared to fostering within local authority budgets.

  • Innovations in Fostering: The debate highlighted positive initiatives such as the regionalisation of fostering services, like ‘Foster for East Midlands’, and the ‘Mockingbird’ program, which provides support networks for foster families to prevent them from leaving the role.

  • Support for Kinship Care: Concerns were raised about inadequate support for children placed with kinship carers compared to those in formal care systems. The debate underscored the need for enhanced therapeutic support and services for these children.

  • Advocacy for Children in Care: The importance of advocacy services for children in care was discussed, emphasizing children’s rights and the need for them to feel heard and supported through these services.

  • Financial Challenges and Costs: The cost of caring for children in care has risen from £3.1 billion in 2009-10 to £7 billion in 2022-23, amidst a 9% reduction in local councils’ core funding. Excessive profits in the care provider market were also a point of concern.

  • Educational and Employment Outcomes: Only 6.8% of children in care achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in 2018-19, compared to 43.2% of all children. Employment rates for care leavers are low, with just 22% of 27-year-old care leavers in employment, and they face a £6,000 pay gap compared to the general population.

  • Government Response and Policy Changes: The government acknowledged the need for reform and announced measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including more investment in kinship care, family group decision making, and support for foster care recruitment and retention. They also plan to address market dysfunctions to ensure better and more affordable care provision.

Divisiveness

During the parliamentary session on ‘Children in Care’, there was a notable absence of significant disagreement among participants. The transcript shows a high level of consensus and support for the views and proposals outlined by John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab). This is evident from the following observations:

  1. Interventions from Other MPs: Contributions from MPs such as Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP), Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab), Rachel Gilmour (Tiverton and Minehead) (LD), Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Highgate) (Lab), John Milne (Horsham) (LD), Shaun Davies (Telford) (Lab), Chris Bloore (Redditch) (Lab), and Alison Bennett (Mid Sussex) (LD) were supportive and aligned with the arguments presented by John Whitby.
    • Jim Shannon shared a positive story about a company supporting children in care, with John Whitby agreeing and appreciating the initiative.
    • Alistair Strathern highlighted the need for better therapeutic support for those in kinship care, with John Whitby agreeing and welcoming the government’s initiative to expand services.
    • Rachel Gilmour’s emphasis on the importance of fostering and adoption was acknowledged and supported by John Whitby, who mentioned recent government innovations like Foster for East Midlands and Mockingbird as stepping in the right direction.
    • Tulip Siddiq’s focus on the importance of advocacy services was strongly endorsed by John Whitby, emphasizing the need to listen to children.
    • John Milne’s concerns about kinship carers feeling discriminated against were aligned with John Whitby’s views on supporting kinship care, which he noted positively in the context of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
    • Shaun Davies and Chris Bloore both received supportive responses from John Whitby about the need for a comprehensive and cross-sector approach to support children in care and kinship care families.
    • Alison Bennett’s intervention on early intervention was met with a positive response from Janet Daby, indicating government support for such initiatives.
  2. Response from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Janet Daby): The Minister’s response further echoed the agreement with the points raised by John Whitby. Janet Daby:
    • Acknowledged the increase in the number of children in care since 2010 and the challenges inherited by the current government.
    • Highlighted recent government initiatives like the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that aim to address issues such as kinship care support and early help services, which align with points made by John Whitby.
    • Stressed the government’s commitment to improving foster care and supporting foster carers, further reinforcing the consensus on the need for increased support.
    • Mentioned the plan to rebalance the children’s social care market to prevent profiteering, addressing another point made by John Whitby about the costs of care placements.

Given this context, the session demonstrated a collective desire to address the issues surrounding children in care with ample agreement and minimal contention. The discussions were dominated by supportive interventions and governmental responses that aligned with the motion’s intent. Therefore, the session’s level of disagreement is rated very low — at 1 out of 5.