This article, written by Jack Smith, is funny and serious at the same time.
We all know the story of the well-loved orphan who sings her way through life’s miseries and gets to live in a mansion with the mega-rich Oliver Warbucks. Everyone’s sung along to the catchy and cheery songs that make Annie so fantastic. And we’re always so pleased that Annie gets a happy ending, despite her bad beginning. But it’s fiction – of course there was going to be a happy ending.
The reality is not all young people growing up in care get a happy ending: 23% of the adult prison population has been in care and almost 40% of prisoners under 21 were in care as children. Only 6% of care leavers go on to university, compared to 38% of other young people. Whether it’s financial issues, accommodation or not having supportive people around them, children in care have the odds against them and it doesn’t get any better as they hurtle towards adulthood.
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