News: Children’s Minister writes about care leavers
Children’s Minister Edward Timpson has written to directors of children’s services around the country highlighting a number of initiatives designed to improve the lives of young people leaving care.
He wrote:
“As many of you know, I grew up alongside foster children. I know how important and difficult the transition into adulthood can be or them, and for all children in care.
Unfortunately the latest figures show an overall reduction in the number of care leavers in employment, education and training, and that slightly fewer are living in suitable accommodation. But the wide variations between local authorities are very striking; we need all local authorities to learn from the best.”
The initiatives include a care leavers data pack, which provides a detailed analysis of the statistics surrounding care leavers; a Charter for Care leavers, drawn up by care leavers themselves; a new programme designed to increase employment opportunities for care leavers; and the Staying Put programme, which allows care leavers to stay with and receive support from their foster families until the age of 21.
According to the data pack, 10,000 young people have left care in 2012, up from 8,170 in 2007.
The Charter will require organisations which sign it to: “to respect care leavers and remember that they are individuals” and to “listen to them and place their views at the heart of decisions made about them”.
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