PRESS RELEASE- Government to examine deaths of vulnerable care leavers

Review into deaths of young people leaving the care system to be published later this year, led by Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain.

“Vulnerable young people leaving the care system will be better supported following a review launched by the government today into the deaths of care leavers.

This is in response to the horrifying fact that a disproportionate number of young people who have been in care die young, often in complex circumstances and without support from social workers and others. The government is determined to change this as part of wider efforts to improve the lives of young people, breaking down barriers to opportunity and enabling them to succeed.

Data published in May 2025 showed 91 notifications of care leaver deaths in 2024–25, with the majority aged between 16 and 21. This number is unacceptably high and a serious problem which impacts wider society.”

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