Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, has this week pledged her support for the campaign by Every Child Leaving Care Matters (ECLCM) to stop discrimination against children in residential children’s homes, and for all children and young people in care to be supported to the age of 21.
In December 2013, the Government made the welcome announcement that children in foster care would be allowed and supported to remain with their foster carers until they reached the age of 21, however, children in residential care were not included in this change even though the residential sector often cares for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people who may be unable, or indeed choose not to be fostered. These discriminatory changes became law in April 2014.
Since then, Every Child Leaving Care Matters have campaigned to end this two tier system of support, which they state will create an ‘underclass’ of children in care who have to leave care at 18.
The ECLCM campaign were consulted by Sir Martin Narey in the course of his recent independent review into residential care in England, and put forward proposals for children in residential care to stay in touch or stay close to the primary care staff they had grown to trust. Sir Martin’s report, ‘Residential Care in England’, published on Monday (4th July), urges the Government to commit to introducing Staying Close and recommends ECLCM should help officials in the Department for Education (DfE) to develop the reform, including advising on pilot schemes.
In response to Sir Martin’s report the Department for Education has said it is committed to introducing ‘Staying Close’ following this series of pilots for the scheme.
Catherine McKinnell, who is a member of the Education Select Committee and attended an ECLCM event in Parliament this week, said:
‘I am very pleased to be able to support the work of the Every Child Leaving Care Matters campaign. This small group of volunteers are making a big difference to improving the lives of children who live in residential care, as they are now a step closer to being offered the same rights as those who grow up in foster care.
‘It’s just not acceptable for this two tier system of support to continue for some of our most vulnerable young people, and we must keep up the pressure on Government to deliver a fair system for every child leaving care.’
Ed Nixon, Chair of Every Child Leaving Care Matters, said:
‘We welcome the recommendations of Sir Martin Narey’s report and are delighted that he recommends that our experiences and those of thousands of care leavers are considered. His report recognises that it is vital that children don’t just feel abandoned as soon as they are 18 from the people they may have come to know and trust and his recommendation to implement Staying Close.
‘However, the recommendations are not strong enough. ECLCM would prefer all care leavers to be able to ‘stay put’ in their placement as long as it is in their best interests and they choose to do so until they are 21, in parity with children leaving foster care. In circumstances where this is not possible, we support a variation of the ‘Staying Close’ principle. Care leavers need continuity of positive relationships, stability and safe accommodation and we believe this is best served by the same people and professional agencies who have offered the placement and should be part of the registered provision.’
The Every Child Leaving Care Matters petition is available here.