Finding Family After Care
"I have no-one else, so to feel part of a family after leaving care is making a huge difference."
Poppie was 10 years old when she entered the care system following a breakdown in her relationship with her mother. Initially placed with a foster family, she moved within two years to a children's home in Hertfordshire, where she remained until just before her 18th birthday.
She has no contact with her birth family. However, as she transitioned into adulthood last year, Poppie was not alone. Brigitte Marshall, 58, and her son Reuben, 24, who were support workers at the care home, have since become significant figures in her life.
Reuben served as Poppie's key worker, playing an essential role in supporting her through her GCSEs. Currently, they accompany her to medical appointments and have assisted her in selecting a college course. In September, Poppie will begin a health and care course, aspiring to become a doctor.
"It means so much having Brigitte and her family in my life,"says Poppie, now 18, who regularly attends family barbecues, social events, and outings with them.
Her connection with the family is so strong that she refers to Brigitte as "mummy Brigitte."
Poppie benefited from a government-funded initiative called the Finding Family programme, which provided her with a coordinator from the local council. This coordinator facilitated and encouraged the development of her bond with the Marshall family.
However, not all young people leaving care experience such support. For many, the transition out of the care system is often described as a "cliff edge," marking a sudden cessation of care and support.
"The thought of her leaving and being all on her own when she left care was shocking,"Brigitte explains.
"When you leave you get support sorting out housing, finance and education, but you need more than that. I just wanted her to feel valued, loved and supported."
Brigitte, who has four children of her own, considers Poppie part of her family.
'I've Got My Family Back'
Mackenzie, 20, is another young person who has received support through the Finding Family programme, which has been piloted since 2023.
He spent six years in care after his mother passed away and his relationship with his father deteriorated. Mackenzie was placed in a care home in Norfolk, far from his family in Hertfordshire.
Although he maintained contact with his father during care, his coordinator helped him reconnect with his wider family, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and a half-sister. The coordinator also organised a family gathering.
"It's wonderful to feel close to them again,"Mackenzie shares.
"I still have trauma from my childhood and sometimes need some time out – but there would be a big hole in my life if I didn't have the contact I do."
He credits his coordinator with providing "a safe space" to reconnect with his family, assisting with arranging and planning these interactions.
Expanding Support for Children in Care
The support received by Poppie and Mackenzie in Hertfordshire reflects a broader government objective to extend such assistance to all 80,000 children in care.
The Department for Education has allocated funding to 25 local areas to employ coordinators who help children re-establish or develop new relationships with trusted adults. These adults may include estranged family members or individuals such as teachers, former sports coaches, or people encountered during care, as in Poppie's case.
During the pilot phase, young people supported by the programme formed an average of nearly two meaningful relationships each. More than one-third were aided in reconnecting with family members.
While similar support exists in some regions outside the pilot—arranged independently by councils or charities—provision remains inconsistent.
The government plans to address this by allocating £8.4 million over the next three years to ensure all children in care and those leaving care have access to this support.
Addressing Ongoing Challenges
Children's Minister Josh MacAlister expressed hope that the initiative will help young people leaving care to "achieve and thrive."
"Too many children leave care without the lifelong relationships that most of us rely on for love, support and stability throughout adulthood,"he stated.
This announcement is part of a comprehensive package of reforms to children's social care. Measures include increasing foster placements, keeping children in care closer to their home areas, and ensuring councils provide support on housing and employment issues up to age 25.
While professionals in the sector welcome these changes, significant challenges persist.
Young people leaving care are three times more likely to be not in education, employment, or training and face a higher risk of homelessness within two years.
Cathy Ashley, head of the Family Rights Group—a charity collaborating with the government and councils to deliver the Finding Family programme using a model called Lifelong Links—describes the roll-out of support as a "brilliant start."
However, she acknowledges that "huge challenges" remain.
"The state system has fundamentally failed for so long, that is why the outcomes for these young people are so poor,"Ashley explains.
She emphasizes the need for increased housing and employment support, stating,
"We have to keep building from here if we are going to solve this."
