Some children in care wait more than ten years for permanent home, study finds

More than one in ten children were still in temporary placements a decade after entering the care system, according to research.

The study of more than 1,800 “looked after” children in Scotland found that on average it took more than two years to find them a permanent home.

Researchers also raised concerns that too many “looked after” children have no contact with their siblings.

The Permanently Progressing longitudinal study has been looking at the lives of all 1,836 children who became looked after in Scotland aged five or under in 2012-13, tracking their progress.

Phase two of the study found that by the end of July 2022, most (79%) of the 1,836 children were living in homes intended to provide permanence.

However, overall, the average time to permanence for children was 32 months, and more than one in ten children (12%) were still, or again, in impermanent placements ten years after becoming looked after.

Dr Helen Whincup, senior lecturer in social work at the University of Stirling, who led the study, said: “While it is heartening that permanence has been achieved for most of the children, it is worrying that for many this took over two years – a long time in a child’s life.

“It is also concerning that one in ten of children had five or more placements and, ten years after becoming looked after, more than one in ten children were still, or again, in impermanent placements.

“This is not what we would want for any child.”

The study found that two thirds (64%) of children who had ever been looked after away from home had experienced two or more placements and one in ten (10%) children had five or more.

It found that while the Scottish Government is the corporate parent for care experienced children, crucial information about children was missing from administrative data.

For 9% of children there was not enough detail in Children Looked After Statistics (CLAS) to say where they were living, and ethnicity was recorded as unknown for 8% of children.

Information on children’s early lives was available from social workers for 727 children from the overall cohort.

This showed that before becoming looked after away from home, most children (91%) had experienced maltreatment, and family life was challenging.

The survey also looked at contact with siblings, drawing on data from caregivers who completed the Permanently Progressing phase two survey.

Of the 79 children from the caregiver survey with a sibling living elsewhere, just under half (38) had no contact with siblings they live apart from.

Dr Paula Jacobs, research fellow at the University of Stirling, who was involved in interviewing children and caregivers, said: “We heard about the complexity of renewing or maintaining connections across different families, where children may have different needs.

“While not underestimating the sensitivity needed to maintain or renew connections, the fact that so many children do not currently have any form of contact with their brothers and sisters is stark.”

The study also found that more than one third (36%) of the 98 children whose caregivers completed a questionnaire have a long-standing illness, disability or health problem that affects their day-to-day activities.

The research is led by the University of Stirling in collaboration with Lancaster University, and the Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland (AFKA).

The findings are being shared at a conference in Stirling on Tuesday.

The Permanently Progressing study was funded by a philanthropic donor and the Nuffield Foundation.

Children minister Natalie Don-Innes said: “The Scottish Government is committed to Keeping The Promise, by ensuring that all care experienced children and young people grow up safe, loved and respected.

“We are committed to ensuring that permanent homes are secured for children and young people in timescales that are right for them. We are funding the Association of Fostering, Kinship and Adoption to deliver good practice guides helping social workers as they support children, young people and their families.

“We continue to work closely with The Promise Scotland, COSLA and other delivery partners to ensure we can deliver on these aims.”