What is a children’s home?
A children’s home is a house where children and young people live together as a group, with professional staff to look after them.
Children’s homes aim to make sure that they meet the needs of children who can’t live with their own families. That means that as well as providing food, shelter, and space for play and leisure in a caring environment, they also act as a place where children can grow and develop.
Birmingham Children’s Trust has five children’s homes that work with children and young people, and their many different needs. Each home respects children as individuals, and provides for their religious and cultural needs, encouraging them to keep their sense of personal identity and community.
Every resident has a Care Plan
When children and young people in Birmingham come to live in a children's home they’ll have a Care Plan. Their plan says:
- Why they are living in residential care
- What is supposed to happen while they are living there
- What is supposed to happen at the end of their stay.
Most children return home, but a few go to live with other families and a few go to live in other homes. Older children who are not planning to return home are given help to prepare them for living on their own.
Their education is important
Children go to their own school, if they have a school place, or we help to get them back into school. The exceptions to this are Birmingham’s Community Home with Education (CH(E)) and two specialist Children's Homes, where education is available on site. Some young people may still go to resources in the community, for example school, college, and so on.
We encourage them to stay in touch with their family and friends
It’s very important that children and young people stay in touch with their family and friends. It’s only when they might be hurt, or a Court Order says that contact is forbidden, that some children are unable to have visits from their family or are unable to visit them.