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New Government funding to support relationships for children in care
Family Rights Group welcomes a new Government commitment, backed by £8.4 million, to support enduring relationships for children and young people in care. It follows a major milestone as 5,000 looked after children and young people have been supported to rebuild broken relationships with family and vital connections through the Lifelong Links approach.
Developed by Family Rights Group, Lifelong Links is the only evidenced family finding approach in the UK. A cross between Long Lost Families and Who Do You Think You Are, it tackles the isolation of the care system by finding and bringing together people who are important to a child. This includes grandparents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, friends or former teachers, foster carers and sports coaches.
The innovative approach has been proven to significantly expand a young person’s support network, improve their mental health, and deliver substantial cost savings for local authorities.
Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of the Family Rights Group, said:
“Too often the care system breaks relationships for children and young people and many are moved far away from their family and friends. With each change in their foster or children’s homes and each school move, relationships are lost and young people are left isolated and alone.
“We are delighted that the Government is committing to put relationships at the heart of the care system and that there is new investment in supporting children to build lasting, loving relationships. Family Rights Group designed Lifelong Links with young people to do just that.
“Lifelong Links is a transformational approach that has supported thousands of young people to be connected to those who know and love them. It is proven to reduce loneliness, improved mental health and reduce the risk of homelessness. It is also highly cost effective. It should be a offer to all children in care and care leavers so no young person is left isolated.”
“The Government investment of £8.4 million is an important step in the right direction but additional investment is needed if we are to turn this ambition into a reality.”
According to data from March 2025, 44% of looked-after children, representing 36,350 individuals, are living in a different local authority to their home area. Furthermore, 22% of children in the care system (18,120 children) are placed over 20 miles away from their homes. Many children are separated from their siblings, forced to change schools, or moved far away from family and friends.
Data from independent evaluations demonstrates that Lifelong Links increases a child’s network of family and friends from an average of seven connections to twenty six. The approach also yields a significant improvement in the mental health and wellbeing of participants. Furthermore, it improves stability, with 74% of children and young people remaining in their foster care or children’s home after participating in Lifelong Links, compared with 41% of a comparator group. The risk of homelessness among care leavers is reduced by 10% in local authorities offering Lifelong Links.
The approach also provides significant value for the public purse. Analysis led by the University of Sussex found that for every £1 spent on the programme, £3.47 in local authority costs is avoided. This is largely due to reductions in children going missing and increased placement stability.
Lifelong Links is currently offered by 49 local authorities across the UK.
Notes to Editor
Contact Garry Lemon on 07545 570 922 [email protected] for more information.
About Family Rights Group
Family Rights Group is the leading national charity working to ensure the child welfare system supports children to live safely and thrive within their family. We also work to strengthen the family and community networks of those children who cannot live at home.
- Our free specialist advice service supports parents and kinship carers in England, helping them to understand their rights and options.
- We pioneer innovative child welfare practices including family group conferences and Lifelong Links.
- We set up the Kinship Care Alliance and co-led the first ever Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care. We now service the All Party Parliamentary Group on Kinship Care.
- For 50 years, our legal, policy and campaigning work has influenced developments in the child welfare system. For example, we have recently secured a change in the law so children in care will have a right to reasonable contact with their brothers and sisters.
June 2026
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