Children at risk are being badly let down

Children at risk are being badly let down

The delays in care proceedings for vulnerable children revealed in yesterday's report by Barnardo's, the children's charity, are intolerable. In county courts, the making of a care or supervision order is taking an average of 57 weeks, while in family courts the waiting time is 45 weeks. For a young child, such a delay is an eternity, made all the more traumatic by the fact that many of them will be living in abusive homes. Barnardo's chief executive, Martin Narey, was absolutely right to warn the courts that they need "to reflect on the damage these delays are having on extremely vulnerable children". With an average of three children dying every week in this country as a result of abuse by family members, his words must be heeded.