CLA survey reveals that 145 young people have gone missing from care in the last year

CLA Press Release 19/11/09: Missing without a trace: 145 young people from care go missing in the last year

A survey of 202 local authorities across the UK, conducted by the Care Leavers’ Association (CLA), revealed that, over the last year, at least 145 children and young people have gone missing from care, with the local authorities having no knowledge of their whereabouts.

The survey, undertaken using the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that:

At least 40 local authorities have had children and young people go missing without a trace.

A further six local authorities could not respond to the survey because they keep no central record of all children who have gone missing from their care despite a government emphasis on recording this figure.

Ninety per cent of those missing are unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), which raises concerns that many may have become victims of trafficking.

More than one in ten of those who are missing are children

Victoria Hull, National Development Worker of the Care Leavers’ Association, speaking at today’s Public Policy Exchange Symposium on Child Trafficking in the UK: Identifying and Safeguarding Vulnerable Children, said:

‘It is worrying that so many of the UK’s most vulnerable young people continue to disappear into thin air. It is imperative that every local authority keeps a central record of all missing looked after children and their current status and this is still not happening. As the corporate parent, local authorities have a particular responsibility towards these young people. Any parent who had an untraced child would be frantic with worry – our view is that local authorities should feel the same way.

Unaccompanied asylum seeking young people are obviously particularly vulnerable and should be appointed a Guardian on arrival who can advocate on their behalf. They should be safely housed away from known trafficking routes’

For more information:

Victoria Hull at the CLA office: 0161 236 1980 or Victoria@careleavers.com