Rethinking how we protect young children at risk of abuse and neglect

In our new evidence review, Protecting Young Children at Risk of Abuse and Neglect, we outline how policymakers and practitioners can better support young children and their families.

Even though a lot of data is collected on children in the child welfare system, we often lack the data needed to inform policy and practice in a satisfactory way. Department for Education figures show us how many children under five are currently looked after in England (14,980 children in 2020). We can see the primary reason they became looked after, their legal status, and their broad ethnic group. However, nationally, we can’t see how many children in care attended nursery or an early years setting and how many children in care reached a “good” level of development before starting school as measured by the Early Years Foundation Stage. We also see very little about their parents.