Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to extend (a) family finding, (b) befriending and (c) mentoring support for children in the care system to build relationships.

The department is committed to helping children thrive, and we want the best for every child and family. We know that a stable support network and loving relationships are crucial to supporting children in care and care leavers to thrive.

To support this, we are currently funding 50 family finding, befriending and mentoring programmes being delivered by 45 local authorities. These programmes will help children in care and care leavers to identify and connect with the important people in their lives, improve their sense of identity and community and create and sustain consistent, stable and loving relationships.

We have commissioned an independent evaluation of the family finding, befriending and mentoring programmes, and this will inform decisions about their future.