The number of children in care in Wales on the rise. How can we support families to reverse this trend and to minimise negative outcomes?
The WCPP has worked for a while on understanding the rising number of children in care in Wales and effective approaches to addressing this trend. A trend that is a cause for concern because of the potential impact on the outcomes of children who are taken into care in terms of educational attainment, health, unemployment, homelessness, and criminal justice. The WCPP’s work in this area has recently shifted to a focus on prevention and early intervention. ‘At risk’ children and families will frequently interact with multiple agencies and services. Our work looks at whether and how multi-agency working in Wales could be improved to support families and reduce the risk of children being taken into care.