Campaign launches charter for children in care

CHILDREN who grow up in care begin adult life so disadvantaged that 75 per cent leave school with no qualifications, according to a campaign launched yesterday, writes Rosie Waterhouse.

The Who Cares Trust said 50 per cent of care leavers were unemployed and 23 per cent of the adult prison population had a care background. The trust, a charity that has made contact with 20,000 young people in 132 local authorities in Britain, launched a charter to campaign for improved conditions for children in care.

The aims include treating children and young people who are the parental responsibility of the state as one group, and improving the quality of social work practices.