CYP Now - Policy & Practice: Policy into practice - Tailored support must beavailable to runaways

It is estimated that around 100,000 children run away from home each year to escape conflict, abuse or neglect by families or carers. Research shows that two thirds of adults don't report these children missing, leaving them open to the dangers of being alone and vulnerable on the streets.

Initiatives aimed at runaways have reached many of these vulnerableyoung people, but statistics show that the proportion of childrenrunning away has not fallen in the past six years. Local authorities inEngland are charged with helping young runaways but support services onthe ground are patchy or non-existent, with just a handful of officialrefuges for young runaways and funding for these running out. Incontrast, a system of federally funded shelters and a governmenthelpline has existed in the US since the 1970s.

This month, children's minister Beverley Hughes acknowledged thatcurrent guidance to local authorities is "not enough" and announced thepublication of a green paper later this year to introduce measures withlocal authorities "that really stop looked-after children fromdrifting". But more needs to be done to join the many existing servicesand programmes into a coherent system that doesn't consistently failthese young people.

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