In collaboration with Royal Holloway, University of London, Alma Economics provided evidence on the causes of the increase in the rates of children entering care in England, including the impact of early intervention policies.

To do so, our team conducted surveys of care councillors, looked after children, and other stakeholders to better understand the increase in the number of children in care in England. The survey was part of the wider Knowledge Exchange Project “Key Challenges Facing Children and Young People in the UK”, funded by Research England.

Our team also conducted focused interviews with representatives of the third sector to understand the trend in entry rates across different age groups and to explore the associated challenges.

The collected data was used to develop targeted policies to improve the educational trajectories and cognitive development of looked after children.