Following news that the number of children in care in England could rise significantly in the next four years, children law expert and partner at Morecrofts, Andrew Perrigo shares his views.
“The best place to be brought up is with your family”. Most people would agree with that statement. And the law agrees with it. Article 8 European Convention on Human Rights underpins every one’s right to a family life.
Indeed, in care proceedings when deciding where a child should live the court will always look at family options first – be that a parent or another relative.
For many different reasons some children cannot stay at home and other solutions need to be found like foster care. And it has been announced today that the number of children in care in England could reach almost 100,000 by 2025. This county councils suggest would be a 36% rise in the last ten years.
One can’t help link the significant increase of children accommodated with a reduction in funding in front line services over the same period. Surestart, for example, was brought in 2001 in order to help children have the best start in life. Sadly by 2010 the cuts to Surestart had commenced and a valuable resource for families was lost.
Children’s Services have also seen the impact of austerity policies over the last ten years. With fewer resources, fewer families are getting the help they need. And without that help more and more children are coming into the care system.
In Northern Ireland they have fewer children in care as they still have early help available for families and proactively involve the wider family in care planning.
With the increase of children in care comes the increase cost to local authorities to provide homes for them e.g. paying for foster carers. Those not suitable for a foster placement may be placed in a residential home or a specialist unit at the other end of the country far away from their families.
According to today’s news the cost per week of a child living in a children’s home is £4,000 a week. Makes you wonder how many Surestart centres could be funded with that.