Working with young people and families
Children and young people in the care system are as diverse as any group of young people and no assumptions should be made about, for example, their abilities or disabilities, culture, religion or social group.
Working with young people
However, all the children and young people’s lives have been disrupted. The majority of young people in care come from families who experience difficulties and are separated from them because their family is unable to provide adequate care. Many children will have been affected by distressing and damaging experiences including physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Some may be in care because of the illness or death of a parent. Others may have disabilities and complex needs. Vulnerable unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the UK may also become looked after if they have a proven connection with Westminster. A tiny minority of children and young people are in care because of offences they have committed (less than 2% in 2000).
Experience of money will vary from individual to individual; in many cases regular familiy conversations about spending and saving may have been limited. However, most looked after children are well provided for materially, specifics vary from local authority to local authority but generally young people receive regular pocket money. The people looking after the child or young person also receive money for clothing, outings and activities, holidays and visits to family and friends. The extent to which – and stage at which - this money is passed to the young person also varies.
Many young people in care do not need to worry about money until moving to independence. For this reason it is often not until they leave care that they realise the importance of being financially capable. The care system provides well for material needs and it is not until they begin to live independently that the lack of skills and knowledge become apparent.
Schools should consult with their pupils about their experiences of learning about money and their personal finance educaiton needs. When doing this they should bear in mind the situation of looked after children and use langauge about the home with sensitivity – always referring to parents and carers.
Working with families
As schools develop family learning activities that develop financial capability they should not make assumptions about the home circumstances of the pupils and make it clear that invitations are for parents and carers. In Hertfordshire pfeg worked with the local authority and clusters of schools. Parents and carers were invited to come and help their children understand money through games and activities that engaged both adults and children.
Other family learning has focused on budgeting for healthy eating, comparing the cost of fruit in the market with supermarket prices. Learning together helps the whole family – including foster families - and encourages them to talk about money. Examples of familiy learning can be found in pfeg’s What Money Means project materials - see below.
