At the extreme end, at any one time about 70,000 children are in the care of councils - about 0.5 per cent of all children - at an annual national cost of over £3bn. Quite rightly, there is a huge emphasis on improving the care system, so that children, who have very often been deeply damaged, achieve the best possible outcomes.
We are not great at this, especially with young people leaving care, who signally fail to receive the quality and depth of support that middle-class parents provide for their own children, so there is still much more to do. At the same time, there isn't a direct link between poverty and the quality of parenting - very many poor parents care well for their children. So, while reducing poverty helps, it can't be the only answer.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
