Young adults leaving the care system in England are to receive free prescriptions, dentistry, and eye tests up to the age of 25, in a move hailed as a vital step in recognising the state's ongoing duty to them. However, ministers and campaigners have warned that this eye-catching reform alone will not solve the profound and systemic failures plaguing children's social care.
A System Under Strain
The backdrop to this new entitlement is a care system under severe pressure. While the number of children in care in England has dipped slightly from a peak of 83,750 in 2023, the figure of 81,770 recorded in March last year remains 17.7% higher than a decade ago. Across the UK, the state looks after a total of over 105,000 children when Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are included.
The outcomes for these young people are stark. They face a 62% higher chance of dying before the age of 75 compared to their peers and are four times as likely to have a criminal conviction or caution. A critical shortage of resources exacerbates these challenges. Many local councils are in dire financial straits, and services are depleted. Recruitment and retention of social workers is the biggest workforce challenge for English councils, and there is also a national shortage of foster carers.
Symbolic and Practical Support
The new package of support, which also includes a pilot scheme for dedicated mental health support and NHS internships, is a necessary correction. At a time when soaring living costs and a lack of affordable housing mean more young people live with parents into adulthood, care leavers have historically been cut adrift at 18.
This lack of post-18 support is a key reason why only around 14% of care leavers access higher education, placing them at a significant disadvantage. The free prescriptions and eye care have a dual purpose: they remove practical financial barriers to healthcare for vulnerable young adults, and they symbolically acknowledge the state's enduring responsibility to those it has parented.
The Long Road to Reform
Josh MacAlister, the author of a major review of children's social care for the Conservative government, is now a children's minister in the Department for Education. His presence in post creates an opportunity to push for more fundamental change. Experts argue for a rebalancing of the entire sector towards public and non-profit provision.
There are also calls to learn from devolved nations. In Scotland, bursaries have successfully increased the number of care leavers attending university. Furthermore, emerging science on brain development, which suggests adolescence can last into the early thirties, underscores the need for extended support.
While the latest reforms for England are a welcome step in a slow journey of improvement, the consensus is clear: they are a beginning, not an end. The government must now ensure care leavers are aware of their new rights and build on these changes to address the deep-seated structural problems that continue to fail the most vulnerable young people in society.
