Children returning home after being in care need better support to help them stay with their families, new guidance for councils in England says.
The guidance, published by Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families and commissioned by the Department for Education, sets out how local authorities should plan for children leaving care and returning home.
It says support should not stop when a child returns to their family, but should continue afterwards to help prevent breakdowns.
Research by the National Children’s Bureau found families given targeted support during the reunification process had better outcomes than six in then of those who didn’t.
The review found support could improve family wellbeing, strengthen relationships between parents and children and increase the chances of children remaining safely at home.
The guidance says councils should avoid a ‘one size fits all’ approach and take account of individual needs. It also highlights issues such as housing problems and financial insecurity, which it says can place additional pressure on families.
Researchers said trust between families and professionals was an important factor in successful reunification. They said services including family therapy and family group decision making could help, but were not always used when children returned home.
The report warns that children who return home without enough support may end up back in care. A study commissioned by the NSPCC in 2024 estimated that a child returning to care costs an average of £105,804, compared with about £7,857 for providing reunification support.
Separate research from Action for Children shows around 35% of children reunified with their families in the UK return to care within six years. The charity notes the high failure rate is mostly caused by a lack of support, with 63% of councils reporting a lack of funding.
The guidance comes as the government focuses on keeping children connected with their families. In June, the Department for Education announced a £2.4bn package of reforms for children’s services.
Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive at Foundations, said: ‘Reunification after a time in care is an incredibly complex and delicate process, but one that, when supported properly, can have a lasting positive impact on children and families.
‘The Reunification Practice Guide comes at a crucial moment when both national policy and local practice are shifting to a focus on supporting families remain together safely, addressing the root causes of the challenges they face, and recognising the importance of continued, wraparound support to both children and their parents.
‘This long-awaited guidance to local authorities is based on the best available evidence as well as conversations with children, parents, foster carers, and professionals, and it will enable senior leaders and practitioners to make sure more children can safely grow up with their parents.’
Dr Ciara Keenan, Assistant Director of Research and Evidence at the National Children’s Bureau, said: ‘The evidence is clear that returning home from care is not a single moment, but a journey that requires careful, timely and sustained support.’
‘Our mixed-methods review looked beyond the headline numbers to understand what effective support needs to look and feel like for families,’ Keenan added. ‘Crucially, we heard directly from children, young people, parents, foster carers and frontline practitioners, so the recommendations reflect both robust research and everyday reality.
‘That combination matters, because it means this work can help local areas provide support that is feasible, compassionate and capable of giving families the best chance of staying safely together.’
Image: Izzy Park/UnSplash
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