The expanded duty will benefit young care leavers’ lives, according to findings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for care-experienced children and young people last year. Picture: Fresnel6/AdobeStock
Joe Lepper, Children and Young People Now
Published: 13 March 2025
The government has amended its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to expand corporate parenting responsibilities of councils across the public sector.
Under the amendment, all government departments, schools, NHS trusts and public sector bodies including the Youth Justice Board must consider those in care and care leavers in their decision-making and delivery of services, and take action to improve their lives.
The amendment specifies extending responsibilities of councils in the Children Act 2004 to any service “relating to safeguarding or promoting the welfare of children”.
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The move has been backed by Katharine Sacks-Jones, chief executive of the charity for care-experienced children Become, which coordinates the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for care-experienced children and young people.
“For children in care to thrive support can’t end with their local authority,” said Sacks-Jones, adding: “Health, welfare, education and other services play a huge role in their lives and can shape their futures.
“We welcome this much-needed step to ensure more public bodies take responsibility for supporting young people to live happy and healthy lives.”
The APPG last year carried out an inquiry into the expansion of corporate parenting responsibility found that expanding support would have a positive impact on the lives of children in care and care leavers.
One care-experienced young person who took part in this inquiry said that “a collaborative approach with other organisations rather than just the council is really important because it does take a village to raise a child”.
Earlier this month academics from the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO) and Oxford University’s Reed Centre called for greater collaboration between councils and universities to ensure more is done to support the entry and retention of care-experienced students.
They found that care-experienced young people are four times less likely to enter higher education than their peers.