John has severe learning difficulties and spent his childhood in care.When he hit 16 his local authority said he should move from foster careto semi-independent living. "He just wasn't ready," says his fostercarer. "He's so easily led. Within months he'd held up a garage andlocal shop and he wasn't that type of child. He was in a young offenderinstitution for about a year. I firmly believe he wouldn't have gonethere if he'd remained in care. He just had learning difficulties. If Itold him to go and clean his room, he would say, 'okay'."
John's case might be extreme. But last week evidence that 16-year-oldsare being forced out of care before they're ready prompted former homesecretary David Blunkett to promise he would raise the issue withministers (Children Now, 17-23 May).
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