
#KeepCaringTo18
Support our campaign to make it law that every looked after child
receives care until at least their 18th birthday – SIGN UP FORM BELOW
LATEST
28 October 2023 – care-less accommodation now officially part of the children’s care system.
25 October 2023 – show you care, please write to your MP.
23 October 2023 – meet the people trying to fix the law for children in care.
23 October 2023 – child protection report reveals nature of serious harms in care.
Please join us in pressing for all looked after children to receive care where they live.
Under domestic and international law, a child is a person under the age of 18. Children are ‘looked after’ when a family court has made an order giving parental responsibility to a local authority, or when they are ‘accommodated’ with permission from parents/carers or the child consents themselves if they are aged 16 or 17.
#KeepCaringTo18 campaign guiding principles:
- If a child is looked after by the state, they should receive care where they live – up to at least 18 years.
- All children need care for their well-being and development, and this can be provided alongside respect for growing autonomy.
- Children, young people and care leavers must be at the heart of policy development affecting them. This includes those who are currently in secure settings and those who have had extremely difficult experiences in care.
- All forms of accommodation for looked after children must be regulated and inspected to the same high standards.
- We reject the creation of two tiers of children’s residential care. The regulation of supported accommodation for looked after children must include a guarantee of care. One obvious way forward is for these settings to be made to follow the children’s homes regulations and quality standards, which already apply to children up to age 18 and beyond.
- Government must provide sufficient financial resources for local authorities to meet their statutory duties to all looked after children.
CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS (organisations)
- The 4Front Project
- AFRUCA-Safeguarding Children
- The AIRE Centre – litigating the rights of children in care in England and Europe
- Alliance for Youth Justice
- Article 39
- The Association of Child Protection Professionals
- Association of Panel Members
- Association of Professors of Social Work
- Asylum Aid
- Baker & Joy
- Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile
- Become
- Black Lives Matter UK
- British Association of Social Workers England
- Care Experienced Conference
- The Care Leavers’ Association
- Changing Outcomes
- Children and Families Across Borders
- Children England
- Children’s Rights Alliance for England
- Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS)
- Coram Voice
- Equal Education
- Every Child Leaving Care Matters
- ECPAT UK (Every Child Protected Against Trafficking)
- Family Action
- Family Rights Group
- The Fostering Network
- FosterSupport
- G&S Caring for Children and Young People
- HeadandHeart Therapeutic Services
- Isabel’s Voice
- Just for Kids Law
- Leap Confronting Conflict
- Leeds Lifelong Links
- Lighthouse Fostering
- More than Grandparents
- Nagalro
- National Association of Independent Reviewing Officers (NAIRO)
- National Association for Youth Justice
- National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care
- National IRO Managers Partnership (NIROMP)
- National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)
- National Youth Agency
- Nexus Chambers
- No Borders Training/The Adoption & Fostering Podcast
- Noor Homes
- Norman Galloway Homes
- Pause
- Phoenix Caring Ltd
- The POTATO Group
- Prospect Training and Consultancy
- Reclaim Care
- Rees Foundation
- Refugee Council
- Reshapers CIC
- Roots of Connection
- Siblings Together
- Social Workers Union
- Social Workers Without Borders
- Stand up Speak up
- TACT
- Together with Migrant Children
- Together Trust
- Umbrella Wellness Ltd
- XYP Childcare Ltd
- Young Lives Foundation
- Youth Legal & Resource Centre
#KeepCaringTo18 campaign steering group
– Annie Gibbs, Amour Destiné
– Carolyne Willow, Article 39
– David Graham, The Care Leavers’ Association
– Denise Rawls, National Network for the Education of Care Leavers
– Jim Goddard, The Care Leavers’ Association
– Joshua Williams, National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)
– Joy Bradley, independent consultant (children’s residential care)
– Lucy Croxton, Together Trust
– Dr Lynn Brady, independent advocate and independent person for Children Act complaints
– Rebekah Pierre, care experienced person and British Association of Social Workers (BASW)
– Sian Edwards, National Network for the Education of Care Leavers