Looked-after Children

Part of Estimates Day — [3rd Allotted Day] — Department for Children, Schools and Families – in the House of Commons at 1:13 pm on 2 July 2009.

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Photo of John Hemming John Hemming Liberal Democrat, Birmingham, Yardley 1:13, 2 July 2009

The Committee's experience of the quality of care in Denmark was that the children were less miserable because they were kept in touch with their parents. I have checked the hon. Gentleman's figure of 90,000 or 85,000 for the number of children who may have been in care in any one year, but it is not the number of children who go into care or come out of it. In practice, about 7,000 to 8,000 children go into care as a result of care orders. Of those who leave care, the majority leave to adoption—the figure was about 3,800, but it has come down slightly. However, that drives a wedge between the parents and the practitioners, because the practitioners have to reduce contact with the parents to prepare the children for adoption, which is the complete opposite of what happens in Denmark. Would it perhaps not be a good idea to invite somebody from Denmark to do a critique of the system in England?