Long-term outcomes for care-experienced parents and children

This project will examine the experience of care leavers who became parents and the intergenerational impact on their children’s adjustment.

Making use of the 1970 British Cohort Study and the Millennium Cohort Study, the project will examine the socio-economic resources available to parents, the impact on their children spanning their early lives through to adulthood, and potential protective factors that support care-experienced parents and their children.

Prior research has revealed a link between care-experience and poorer outcomes later in life. The 2013 Care Leaver Strategy, published by the UK Government, identified key areas where care leavers needed more robust support: education, employment, finance, health, housing, justice system and on-going support. Despite the documented link between care-experience and problematic outcomes later in life, and the recognition of a gap in support by the government, there is little robust empirical evidence about longer-term outcomes for adults beyond the age of 21. More so, the impact care-experience can have on intergenerational transmission of disadvantage is not sufficiently understood.

The project team will apply interdisciplinary skills and knowledge to evaluate and understand the rich contextual information provided by the two historic studies. Economic, psychological, medical and legal perspectives will be used to provide insight into what types of support have provided meaningful help and highlighting connections between parents’ and children’s strengths and wellbeing.

Ultimately the team is hoping to answer three research questions:

1. What are the social and economic resources available to parents who had care-experience as children?
2. To what extent does parental care-experience impact on their children’s development?
3. What factors and processes promote positive development among children of care-experienced parents?

The project team plan on using their findings to help influence and benefit multiple key stakeholders. Policy makers in national and local government, think tanks, third sector organisation, educational and social care professionals, academics, the wider public, and care leavers and their children. This will occur through discussion forums, direct collaborations, websites, workshops, conferences, and academic publications in peer reviewed journals. To ensure as wide an impact as possible, the project team will frequently involve a variety of organisations including the police, fostering organisations, family support and early childhood educators. Crucially, four to seven young adults and parents who have care-experience will be actively engaged throughout the research and dissemination process.

Completion of the research and dissemination will provide meaningful insights into how we can reduce the inequality that care leavers and their children face when accessing socio-economic resources. We expect to gain new information on parenting behaviour and the impact this can have across generations. The research will also provide information that can act as a backbone for how we think about services and support for people in care.