What is children’s residential care and what should you know about it?

That's why we're here - to make sure these children have the love and support they need to thrive.

Right now, there are over 100,000 children in care in the UK. They’re in a system that’s under immense pressure and is struggling to cope. The rising need for homes for children in care, and the increased complexity of children’s needs, combined with the lack of resource and funding for services, means that many children in care aren’t getting the love and support they need.

However, over the last 155 years, we’ve been working to improve things for children – through our services and in recent years by campaigning for policy change. We directly support children who are or have been in care – from running residential children’s homes to offering them support with expressing their views and wishes and standing up for their rights. We work to make sure they have the safe and happy childhoods they deserve.

Residential care aims to provide children with a safe and secure place to live when they’re not able to stay with their family. It often involves living with other children, such as in a children’s home, supported by specialist staff who are there for them through their highs and lows. It’s different from foster care, where children live within a family’s home.

Staff members in residential care should help nurture and support children like a family would - picking them up when they’ve had a bad day, helping them with struggles at school, and celebrating their birthday. They should offer love, care and support to the children who need it most.

1. The importance of early help

At Action for Children, we know the importance of early help in preventing young people from entering the care system. That’s why we’ve got frontline staff across the UK helping families before they reach crisis point. Getting the right support, at the right time, can make all the difference to children.

2. Lots of children only go into children's homes after many placement breakdowns

Children move into residential care for a number of reasons – neglect, abuse, or the need for specialist support (such as for a disability). But they’ve often experienced several placements beforehand, such as foster care or kinship care, which is is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or close family friend, usually because their parents aren’t able to care for them.

This lack of stability can have a negative impact on young people (including their mental health and wellbeing), and make it harder for them to nurture relationships with important people in their lives.

3. More needs to be done to help children in care

Children and young people growing up in care aren’t always given the support they need in and after care. As a result, they are more likely to have mental health issues than other children and 58% of children in care have special educational needs. They’re also less likely to do well at school, with over a third of care leavers not in education, training, or employment.

The impact of this is vast, with more than one in 10 care leavers affected by, or being threatened with homelessness. This is a devastating number of children having bad experiences and potentially missing out on opportunities that all children deserve.

Too often, children in care are let down by systems which are meant to help them. And with the number of children entering the care system rising each year, the need for support has never been greater.

Thankfully, we're here to help children and young people access the support and safety they deserve. Whether through our family support services or residential homes, our frontline staff help us reach those most in need.