Top Stories
- An article about the new Channel 4 series, Kids, calling it an ‘amazing insight’. – https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4647/courageous-decision-showed-real-face-of-children-in-care
- The Princess of Wales celebrates Foster Care Fortnight with a visit to the Foundling Museum. – https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/walesfamily/the-princess-of-wales-celebrates-the-uk-care-system-during-a-visit-to-foundling-museum-190121/
Here’s your news from across the UK:
- Research finds that 10,500 more children in England could end up in care at a cost of an extra £1 billion after slow reaction to Care Review – https://www.channel4.com/news/extra-10500-children-could-go-into-care-in-england-say-leading-childrens-charities
- New recommendations could ring the end of Scotland’s unique care and justice system for children with calls for volunteers to be replaced by paid professionals – https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23545576.end-coming-volunteer-childrens-hearings-system/
- Minister for Keeping the Promise, Natalie Don, has welcomed a landmark independent report that sets out more than 100 recommendations for transforming Scotland’s unique Children’s Hearings System – https://www.gov.scot/news/keeping-the-promise/
- An article containing policy ideas to ensure Care Experienced children attend school after findings that over 1,500 are regularly missing – https://schoolsweek.co.uk/attendance-invisible-looked-after-children-back-to-school/
- Interview with Conservative MSP Roz McCall where she talks a bit about her passion for supporting Care Experienced people – https://www.holyrood.com/inside-politics/view,stepping-up-an-interview-with-roz-mccall
- An article about how fostering a child can alter the pre-existing family dynamic –https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-resilient-parent/202305/how-will-foster-parenting-affect-my-children
- West Yorkshire Police piloting new framework to support those who go missing from care – https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/news-appeals/west-yorkshire-police-pilot-framework-support-children-who-go-missing-care
- An extract from researcher Bethany Shelton’s project exploring how children of foster carers make sense of family – https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/blogs/louiseventon/exploring-how-children-foster-carers-make-sense-family
- Radical reforms to the care system in Wales are needed to address a “shocking” rise in the number of looked-after children, a Welsh parliament committee has concluded – https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/24/major-reforms-to-welsh-care-system-needed-finds-senedd-committee
- An inquest is taking place at the moment looking at the failures of the state to protect a teenage girl who was sexually exploited and radicalized by a far-right group. Rhianan Rudd died in a residential home last year. Trigger warning: mentions of suicide and sexual exploitation. – https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2023/05/23/state-contributed-to-death-of-exploited-teen-accused-of-terror-inquest-told/
- The charity, Become has called for people to lobby their MPs for more help finding homes for vulnerable young people – https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/this-not-faultcharity-chief-calls-26967086
- A three-year plan outlining how Aberdeen City Council will meet its obligations to support children and young people in the authority’s care was approved by councillors – https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/news/council-approves-three-year-plan-support-care-experienced-children-and-young-people
- Maree Todd has announced there will be 11 public meetings over the summer to gather consultation from social service users about the plans to create a National Care Service – https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-minister-asks-scots-help-30057588
- The SNP minister in charge of the £1.3billion shake-up of Scotland’s care services has asked the public to help her co-design it – www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23541965.snp-ministers-plea-help-care-service-branded-ludicrous/
- The Children’s Commissioner for England. Dame Rachel de Souza. responds to measures announced by the Home Secretary to take forward recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse – Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on child sexual abuse redress scheme | Children’s Commissioner for England (childrenscommissioner.gov.uk)
- MSPs have expressed fears over the lack of financial transparency in Scottish Government legislation for the new National Care Service – MSPs concerned over financial obscurity in Scottish legislation | The National
- Disadvantaged pupils at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh will be given the opportunity to take part in a programme that hopes to help them “thrive” – Helensburgh: Hermitage Academy pupils to benefit from MCR Pathways | Helensburgh Advertiser
- Claire Glen from Glasgow Clyde College talks about the importance of keeping the Promise committing to make the education experience tailored to Care Experienced people. – https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/23540847.need-work-together-fulfil-promise-young-people/
- Care Experienced rapper, Professor Green speaks about meeting Catherine, Princess of Wales through charity, Kinship. – https://uk.style.yahoo.com/amazing-professor-green-speaks-meeting-100000440.html
Here’s your news from the rest of the world:
- A new initiative inspired by the classic children’s novel Anne of Green Gables – which tells the story of an orphan girl – will be launched next week in a Polish city to encourage more people to foster children – https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/05/26/polish-city-uses-dolls-to-find-foster-parents-in-initiative-inspired-by-anne-of-green-gables/
- 27-year-old Lauren Eslick has won her court case against the state in Sydney, Australia. She was placed with abusive foster parents from the age of 5 – 18. Trigger warning: mentions of child abuse – https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/alarm-bells-the-foster-child-who-s-won-a-settlement-from-the-state-20221018-p5bqps.html
- A state law in California has backfired. In 2015 a new law aimed to cut down on using group homes for children in care in favour of foster carers has led to the closure of many group homes but not enough foster carers to keep up with demand. As a result, many children are being placed in hotels – https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-28/california-law-foster-children-shortage-group-homes
- Kinship carers in Australia are struggling to cope with the lack of government funding – https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/28/australias-kinship-carers-desperate-for-support-as-numbers-of-children-in-out-of-home-care-grow
- Opinion piece on the importance of Black foster parents fostering Black children – https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news
- David Ambroz talks about his new memoir, A Place Called Home, which follows his story of growing up homeless and in the foster care system in New York – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ki05_qrRCw
