Barry Keoghan heads campaign to prioritise children’s care internationally

In a visit to Bulgaria, the Foreign Secretary and actor Barry Keoghan have pushed for every child across the globe to have the right to a safe and loving family environment.

As part of the campaign, the UK will lead a new global alliance to advocate for sustainable, lasting reform of children’s social care around the world. Six countries across four continents have already signed up to this alliance and are committed to driving forward progress on this issue. Partners include UNICEF, the UN Special Representative on Violence against Children, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Paraguay, Philippines and Rwanda.

This includes strengthening families to prevent child separation and championing alternative forms of family-based care, such as kinship care, where a child is cared for by a family member, relative or friend. The alliance marks the first step in the Foreign Secretary’s campaign to progressively end the institutionalisation of children, which is up to five times more costly than family-based care. This will be followed by the launch of a Global Charter later this year.

Children brought up in family-based care are given better starts in life – breaking down the barriers to opportunity and giving them the chance to prosper within their local economies.

Barry Keoghan, who spent most of his childhood in foster care with his brother, visited two children’s centres in Sofia, where he heard about efforts to prevent family separation and speak directly to children and foster parents.

“These are the moments I am incredibly grateful and appreciative of to be able to use my platform to shine a light on the care system that means so much to me and I can only hope to help improve it,” Keoghan said.

Keoghan praised the Foreign Secretary and said they both shared stories about their upbringing, adding they would “come together to do everything we can to make sure all care systems function in the interest of children around the globe and that no child is left behind.”

The Foreign Secretary will kick off his push for family-based care in Bulgaria, one of the UK’s most likeminded partners which has made significant progress in reforming its care system and reducing the number of children in institutions (like large residential care homes and orphanages).

Bulgaria, who have based much of their family policy on the ideas of 1997 to 2010 Labour government’s Sure Start Programme, says it is committed to closing all residential institutions for children and has introduced a ban on children under three being admitted into care institutions.

“The best thing my wife and I ever did, along with having our 2 boys, was adopt our beautiful daughter. Nothing compares to the happiness and meaning she has given to our lives,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.

“Every child deserves a loving and safe family environment where they can thrive and get the best start in life. Too many children are facing a life of neglect and abuse in harmful institutions such as orphanages, which do not have children’s best interest at heart.

“I am proud to drive this global campaign alongside Barry, who has first-hand experience of growing up in the care system.

“Global care reform is not only the right thing to do but will have transformative impacts on economic and social development – delivering our Plan for Change.”

Hugh Salmon, Director of the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, said the group “welcome and endorse this much needed campaign, are delighted to have been able to help plan it and will contribute however we can to building support for its implementation.”