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Children and Families and the Care System
Author(s) -
Appleton Jane V.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
child abuse review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-0852
pISSN - 0952-9136
DOI - 10.1002/car.2454
Subject(s) - neglect , foster care , mental health , social care , health care , child abuse , social work , medicine , subject (documents) , psychology , psychiatry , nursing , suicide prevention , poison control , political science , medical emergency , library science , computer science , law
The papers in this issue revisit the very important subject of children in public care, which Child Abuse Review most recently examined in a themed issue in 2014 (Appleton and Sidebotham, 2014). Significantly, the latest statistics on children looked after in England show a steady rise in the numbers of children in care since 2009, with 69 540 children being ‘looked after’ at 31 March 2015, ‘and an increase of 6% compared to 31 March 2011’ (DfE, 2015, p. 1). While this trend is not mirrored in Scotland or Wales, children in the public care system are recognised as being an extremely vulnerable group with high levels of need, particularly around emotional wellbeing and mental health (Bentley et al., 2016/NSPCC, 2016). In the UK most children are placed with foster families, with other placements including children’s homes, secure units, hostels, and with their parents under social care supervision. Children and young people enter the care system for different reasons, but for many it is as a result of abuse and neglect. The experience of being in care, as DEMOS (2010, p. 11) has noted, ‘clearly serves some groups of children better than others’ and there is considerable interest in the outcomes of young people’s care experiences.