“Young care leavers dying early a ‘national tragedy’” is a report by the BBC’s Catherine Snowdon on the findings of a review commissioned by the UK Department for Education & co-authored by social worker Clare Chamberlain & broadcaster Ashley John-Baptiste

According to the report, Care Leavers have a “death rate around four times higher than the general population”.

Part of the problem is the lack of support people in care receive when they turn 18.

Snowdon writes:

“Just over a third (40) of the care leavers were thought to have died by suicide, a rate the report said was potentially five times higher than that of the general population.

Other causes included murder, road traffic accidents and drug misuse, as well as potential mismanagement of medical conditions like diabetes.”

Sadly, the findings reflect reality for many UK Care Leavers.