Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make care experience a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

The Government recognises that care leavers have some of the worst long-term life outcomes in society. We are therefore committed to ensuring children leaving care have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong loving relationships and are engaged in education, employment and training. Through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill we will be driving forward our commitments on children’s social care, including improved support for care leavers. We have also established a care leaver Ministerial Board, which brings together Ministers from key Departments, to improve support for care leavers across Government.

We are determined to tackle stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced young people. We want to create a culture where all those who play a role in the lives of children in care and care leavers are ambitious for them to reach their full potential. While we do not have plans to make care-experience a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, we are committed to extending corporate parenting responsibilities to government departments and relevant public bodies to ensure that services and support to children in care and care leavers better take account of the challenges they face.