Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of children in residential care.

The government published its plans to reform children’s social care on 2 February 2023 through an implementation strategy and consultation, entitled ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’. This can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1147317/Children_s_social_care_stable_homes_consultation_February_2023.pdf. A central aim of the strategy is to keep children safely with their families, or extended family, where this is in the best interests of the child.

The department is investing more than £45 million over the next two years through ‘Families First for Children Pathfinders’ to design and test complex reforms in a number of local areas, across family help, child protection and family network policies. Additionally, we will also be publishing the first ever national Kinship Care Strategy by the end of 2023, which will explore how to better support kinship carers financially and practically.

Whilst the government recognises the importance of reducing the number of residential care placements for children and young people, residential care can be the right option for some children. Therefore, the department is also supporting local authorities to expand their own provision, which will reduce reliance on the private sector, without reducing the number of placements. We have announced £259 million of capital funding up to 2025 to address concerns in the children’s homes market, and create a market that is more attuned to the needs of local children.