A child is ‘looked after’ (in care) if they are in the care of the local authority for more than 24 hours. Children can be in care by agreement with parents or by order of a court. Most children in care are safe from harm and do well, with strong plans to ensure that their needs are met. For some there are particular risks. Children in care have many different experiences prior to becoming looked after, and this increases their vulnerability (e.g. adverse parenting, abuse, poor emotional well-being etc).
Research shows that many of these risks are reduced when there is stability in their placements with good professional support from a range of agencies.