Closed petition Routine collection and publication of data of how many babies/children return to their care experienced parents care at the end of a Parent and Child Placement

We believe that many care leavers walk out of their placements because little thought is given to their previous experiences or to their mental wellbeing even though a baby has the right to stay with its parent/s if it is safe to do so.

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Many care leavers have social services intervention, when they give birth. This is often due to their history and/or lack of their own parental guidance. These care leavers will undoubtedly have experienced trauma in their childhoods and often suffer from anxiety into their adult lives. They have often never felt safe in their homes as a child and having their own space has been their only safe haven where they are totally relaxed. Currently, if there is any concern, a parent is taken away from their home, family and friends then placed in a foster home or residential home to be assessed with little thought to the parents triggers and mental wellbeing. We believe that this often causes a roller coaster of emotions and parents then walk away from placements only to forever regret a rash decision made in a moment of anxiety that wouldn't have happened if the situation had been dealt with more empathically. We want to fact find to see if a better solution for parent and child is needed.

This petition is now under consideration by the Petitions Committee

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60 signatures

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10,000

The Senedd debated this topic

This topic was debated on 12 July 2023

Watch the petition ‘Routine collection and publication of data of how many babies/children return to their care experienced parents care at the end of a Parent and Child Placement ’ being debated

The joint debate on the Petitions Committee and Children, Young People and Education Committee reports - Services for care experienced children and young people, was debated by the Senedd in Plenary on 12 July 2023.

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Committee Report

The Petitions Committee published its report on Petition P-06-1161 Routine collection and publication of data of how many babies/children return to their care experienced parents care at the end of a Parent and Child Placement on 02 March 2023: https://senedd.wales/media/n1kbpaaf/cr-ld15703-e.pdf.

The Welsh Government response to the Committee report was published on 14 June 2023: https://senedd.wales/media/1sjpghl5/gen-ld15892-e.pdf.