Coram Institute for Children / Coram Voice · 2025
This report, produced by the Coram Institute for Children, analyses over 27,000 survey responses from children in care and care leavers collected through the Bright Spots programme between 2015 and 2024. It identifies seven key drivers of well-being: emotional and mental health support, family and friends, trusted and supportive carers, feeling safe and at home, known and trusted workers, being involved and informed, and opportunities to learn and grow. The findings show that while many children in care report their lives are improving, care leavers experience a sharp drop in well-being upon leaving care, with rates of low well-being increasing over time. The report calls for policy and practice to be shaped by what children and young people themselves say matters to their lives.