Care Leavers

Interesting sites that I hadn;t come across before, regarding children who (for a multitude of reasons) were placed into care homes in the past, or foster parents etc. Jersey also features.

This is the main site:

http://www.careleavers.org/

At the moment, our main priorities are our campaign on Access to Records and, because of what is in the news about the abuse of children in care in Jersey, on abuse in the care system. If you want to know more about that subject, read the news story below. However, we also do lots of other things and welcome care leavers of any age from 18 upwards. We are a diverse, lively, tolerant and committed bunch of people and will do our best to help you to feel welcome in the CLA.

The CLA has helped to produce an Early Day Motion that will be published in Parliament today, Thursday 28th February. This motion was written by John Hemming MP, with help from us at the CLA. The motion reads as follows:

"This House notes with sadness the revelations from Jersey on children in care; recognises that English local authorities have placed children in Jersey; recalls that there have been numerous proven reports of abuse in care in England; endorses the call of the Care Leavers Association for a Public Inquiry into abuse in care; and calls for the law to be changed to ensure that children can speak out about their treatment in care in all circumstances prior to adulthood."

http://www.careleaversreunited.com

CareleaversReunited is a site for people who have spent time in care to get back in touch with friends from their childhood. It is completely FREE to use and currently includes homes from seven different countries. The site is run by the Care Leavers' Association (www.careleavers.org), which is an independent UK-based charity

and this is the new story they ran in February this year:

http://www.careleaversreunited.com/users/newwelcome_news.php

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26-02-2008:

Abuse of Children in Care in Jersey

The Care Leavers' Association has condemned failings in the child care system in Jersey that have led to one death and an ongoing investigation into widespread past abuse of children in care on the island. We have issued the following press statement:

 

The Care Leavers' Association, the only organisation in the UK that represents all adults who were in care as children, notes with anger and concern, but not surprise, the revelations of a death, and widespread abuse, in the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey. Many of our members are the victims of physical and sexual abuse in care in the UK during past decades.

 

Despite several inquiries, there has never been a proper accounting for the abuse that took place across the United Kingdom in the twentieth century and there remain many unanswered questions. The Jersey case is the latest in a long line of abuse scandals afflicting the child care system in the UK. We note the words of the former Jersey Health Minister, Stuart Syvret, that this discovery is "not surprising". Nor is it surprising that both Senator Syvret and former care worker Simon Bellwood were forced out of their posts for doggedly pursuing abuse allegations on Jersey.

 

Denial and cover-up have been a relentless feature of the history of past abuse in the child care system. In the circumstances, the claim of the Jersey First Minister that "children today in Jersey are safe from this type of abuse" is complacent beyond belief. This was the same First Minister who led calls for the sacking of Stuart Syvret for his courageous stand in revealing past abuse.

 

We call for a Commission of Inquiry into past abuse in the UK child care system; the evidence of adults who spent time in care as children should be at the centre of the inquiry. We are not confident that current safeguards are adequate for protecting children from abuse, in Jersey or elsewhere.

 

Until there has been proper recognition and acknowledgement by the State of the inadequacies of the past, there must remain major question marks over the present. - Visit the 'Abuse in Care' section of our home website (www.careleavers.com or see the link on the front page) if you want more information on our views and on the history of abuse in the child care system.