The group is urging the government to recognise care experience as a protected characteristic and implement policies to create better outcomes for care-experienced people.
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It will showcase what is happening in the 107 councils that have already adopted a motion to treat care experience as if it were a protected characteristic, according to leaving care campaigner Terry Galloway, who was at Westminster for the launch on Wednesday (11 December)
The campaign's core focus is to end the disparity and inequality faced by young care leavers as The Office of National Statistics found that 38% of care leavers aged 19-21 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) and were more likely to encounter the Criminal Justice System.
The group, chaired by Scottish National Party MP Chris Law and Labour MP Darren Paffey, will work to advance the campaign by providing a platform for care-experienced individuals to influence policy decisions.
Reflecting on their first meeting at Westminster, Terry Galloway said: “This is a momentous moment for care experienced people, a true movement from the grassroots upwards.
“We had our meeting yesterday where we all voted in our officers, which may have been the first time a group of care experienced people have voted in Westminster.”
The group is currently looking to expand, having released a membership application form on social media.
Galloway said: “Care experienced people who are invited to become members are able to help set the agenda of what is important and get MPs to see what they are going through.”
