COVID-19: Survey results reveal further support should made available to care-experienced children

Date: 28th May 2020
Category: Family Environment and Alternative Care

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Adoption UK ran a week-long survey in April for parents and carers of care-experienced children who would normally be in school. The UK-wide survey received 660 valid responses and found 85% of care-experienced children are not receiving additional support for their home-based learning. Following this finding, the organisation is calling on the governments in all four nations to provide additional funding and resources to help schools support these children.

Care experienced children are among the most vulnerable in the country due to their traumatic start in life which can impact their mental health and learning. School closures and lockdown measures can exacerbate these vulnerabilities as previous research shows adopted children on average achieve significantly less well in exams than their peers, are more likely to have a range of higher-level learning needs and are 20 times more likely to be permanently excluded when compared to their peers.

Half of parents who completed the week-long survey said that their child is experiencing emotional distress and anxiety, whilst around a third said they are experiencing an increase in violence, or aggression, from their child.

These concerns form the basis behind why Adoption UK is urging the governments across the UK to provide schools with funding they need to help these children return to school, supporting both their learning and wellbeing.

• Read the survey results from April in full here
• Read the full story here