In an exclusive journal article written for the Discrimination Law Association, NYAS' policy team explores the complex story of discrimination and inequality facing care leavers.
The article looks at the direct, indirect, systemic and intergenerational discrimination that care-experienced children, young people and care leavers will too often encounter in their day-to-day lives. Specifically, the article discusses how discrimination interacts with care leavers access to a safe, stable and loving home both whilst living in care and once they leave care after turning 18 years old.
The article concludes by exploring options for reform including making care-experience a protected characteristic under The Equality Act 2010 or extending Corporate Parenting duties. Ensuring no child who needs care ever faces homelessness as an adult is complex. It requires addressing systematic failures and inconsistencies in both housing and social care, and more fundamentally, confronting the realities of the prejudice and discrimination care-experienced young people often face.
NYAS’ mission is to devote every effort to standing by children in and leaving care in the decisions which affect them, promoting their rights, views and opinions, and
campaigning for change.
