This report sets out results of survey work undertaken for Coram in summer 2017 to assess the general public’s views on children in care. Coram, the first children’s charity, has an ongoing commitment to raise and develop the public’s understanding of children in care, and these survey results contribute to that commitment.
The research found that most people in the UK recognise that children are most likely to come into care due to abuse or neglect, and that around two million adults would consider becoming a foster carer.
It also revealed that while the public has little idea of the size of the care population or the number of children who come into care, they are aware that most children in care live with foster carers and 23% agree that increasing the numbers of foster carers would help children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
The survey was conducted using an online interview to members of the YouGov Plc UK panel of 800,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Over 2,100 adults in the UK completed the survey with smaller sub-sets for different parts of the UK.