Safely reducing the number of children going into care

Summary:

The care system delivers poor outcomes at immense cost. It fails vulnerable children. We, and they, pay heavily for this.

One key principle should underpin any system change: relationships. Neuroscience shows how they determine physical and mental health as well as brain development.

Given the impact of relationships for good and ill, the care system should be organised in such a way that continuous stable relationships are encouraged – both within the family and with professionals.

This is not always the case.