The UK Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has found that hundreds of vulnerable children in England’s care were placed for months in “illegal” homes, settings not registered with the national regulator Ofsted, due to severe shortages

To launch a new Emerging Insight Series of webinars from CELCIS, this session set the scene by considering what AI might mean for children’s social care. It explored fundamental questions, potential opportunities, and challenges related to how AI is being used in practice; its role in responding to the care and protection needs of children and young people and supporting their families; and emerging understanding of the influences and impacts of AI on children’s and young people’s lives.

Whether we always know it or not, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a now an element of many of the digital and electronic tools many of us use every day in our professional and personal lives.

This Chapter in the Book, Participatory Approaches in Child and Family Social Work explores the significance of advocacy in promoting the rights and well-being of children in care.

This article examines how the Collective Impact methodology has supported childcare system reform in Moldova, using the Family Care First initiative in Cambodia as a comparative example to identify key lessons on governance, coordination, and local leadership. It highlights how strategic collaboration, policy advocacy, and evidence-based approaches contributed to Moldova’s commitment to ending child institutionalization by 2027, while identifying ongoing challenges in shifting stakeholder mindsets.

This article examines kinship care in Portugal, where placements with extended family—designated as “Support from Another Family Member” (SAFM)—are not formally recognized as out-of-home care, limiting visibility, oversight, and support. It finds that while children often show improved well-being, caregivers face significant socioeconomic challenges and lack adequate training, highlighting the need for formal recognition, stronger supervision, and expanded support.

This article examines the legal challenges surrounding the deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It explores international and domestic accountability mechanisms, evidence-gathering challenges, and the complexities of pursuing justice for children affected by conflict.

This study examines how care home staff and managers in the UK perceive and respond to children going missing from care, identifying key factors such as communication, relationships, and organizational support that influence prevention and response. Findings highlight the importance of trauma-informed, child-centred, and collaborative approaches, while noting barriers like resource constraints and inconsistent practices, and offer recommendations to improve safeguarding and outcomes.

Child participation in decisions that affect them is a core element of a rights-based child protection system, and Advisory Boards of Children (ABCs) provide a structured local mechanism to ensure their meaningful involvement in shaping policies and services. This practical guide offers tools and recommendations to support the safe, effective, and equitable establishment and strengthening of ABCs, building on 15 years of experience and aligning with UN recommendations in Moldova.

This report builds on previous research highlighting the multiple challenges facing children of mothers with out-of-home care (OHC) experience in the UK. It draws on data from young people born in 2000 who are part of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) to deepen understanding of the association between maternal OHC experience and poor behavioural and mental health outcomes.