LFYP and Matrix Chambers - Discussion Event - Care Matters: Assessing the Green Paper and Making It Work
Looked After Children – The Facts
Children in care:
- 60,300 children in care as at March 2006 and 62% were aged 10 and over
- 70% of children in care live in foster care and 11% in residential homes/units
- 63% of children in care are there as a result of abuse and/or neglect
- 65% of children who had been in care for over 2 and a half years, had been in the same placement for 2 years or more
- 23% of children in care are in placements outside their local authority area
Education:
- 27% LAC of school age have a Statement of SEN (compared with 3% of all school children)
- In 2005, 7% LAC achieved five good GCSE’s (compared with 54% of children generally)
- At the age of 19 years, 19% of care leavers are in further education and 6% in higher education
Health:
- 45% of LAC have some form of mental illness compared with 10% of the general under 18 population.
- One third of LAC have self harmed since 15 years
- 45% LAC AGED 5- 17 years had a mental disorder (compared with 11% of all children)
Leaving Care:
- 30% of care leavers are not in education, employment or training (compared with 13% of all young people)
- 41% of LAC leave care at 16 or 17 years (young people from “stable” homes tend to leave home in mid twenties)
- 43% of care leavers aged 19 years live independently and 17% live in supported accommodation
Outcomes:
- Young women aged 15-17 years who have been in care are 3 times more likely than 15-17 year olds generally to become teenage mothers
- 27% of adult prisoners have been in care (compared to 2% of the whole population)
- 46% of children in prison are or have been in care
- Between a quarter and a third of rough sleepers have been looked after as children
Sources of information include:
Children Looked After in England 2005-6 DFES
NCH
Holmes and Gibbs 2004 In Safe Hands, Community Care
SEU 2003 report – A better education for children in care
Additional Info Goes Here