This study of young people in residential care in Romania finds that childhood trauma and maladaptive coping are linked to poorer perceived social skills, while adaptive coping is associated with better outcomes. It also shows that self-efficacy plays a key moderating role, highlighting the importance of building both confidence and adaptive coping skills to support healthy social development regardless of trauma exposure.

This video from Sky News explores why care leavers in the UK face disproportionately high rates of early death, highlighting systemic issues such as the abrupt loss of support at age 18, gaps in mental health services, and poor coordination betwee

This UK government announcement outlines a newly launched review into the deaths of vulnerable young people leaving the care system, prompted by evidence that a disproportionately high number are dying at a young age. The review—led by Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain—will examine individual cases to understand the circumstances and identify gaps in support, particularly during the transition to adulthood when many care leavers lose consistent social services.

This blog describes a new initiative led by Lumos Foundation in partnership with UNICEF Moldova to expand early childhood intervention services for children with disabilities across Moldova, aiming to prevent family separation and improve developmental outcomes.

This article from the Children’s Commissioner for England argues that care-experienced young people have the same aspirations as their peers but face systemic barriers that limit their opportunities, particularly in housing, education, and employment.

This study examines factors associated with unplanned placement changes among children living in children’s homes in England. Using national administrative data, it explores how child characteristics and provider-level factors influence placement stability and breakdown.

This brief describes how UNICEF works with the Government of Ukraine and partners, including civil society, across three mutually reinforcing pillars to improve the protection and wellbeing of children returning and reintegrating.

Children in Europe and Central Asia who are at risk of, in, or transitioning from alternative care face significantly higher rates of mental health challenges, which can contribute to family separation, placement instability, and poor reintegration outcomes. This paper highlights the urgent need to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) across the continuum of care and provides practical, evidence-based guidance for governments and practitioners to embed mental health promotion, prevention, and care into child protection systems.

This webinar, held March 27, 2026 by the Care Leaders Council, provided an international exchange among people with lived experience in care, aimed at analyzing regulatory progress, best

This study of adolescents in residential care in Portugal found that perceptions of psychological adjustment differ significantly between adolescents and their caregivers, with adolescents consistently reporting more emotional, behavioral, and peer-related difficulties. The findings highlight low agreement between informants and emphasize the need for multi-informant, developmentally sensitive assessments, greater inclusion of adolescents’ perspectives, and improved caregiver training and tailored mental health support.