Joe Swash was so moved by the “heartbreaking” situation he discovered as he investigated England’s crumbling children’s care system that he wanted to look after all the teenagers he met.
The TV actor and presenter was motivated to make a BBC documentary by a Government review into kids’ social care, which found the system has been woefully underfunded for more than a decade by successive Tory governments.
And he has a personal reason for wanting to get involved – his own mother, Kiffy, has been a foster carer for 15 years,
Joe is now set upon fostering in the future, saying he and TV presenter wife Stacey Solomon will look into it once their own children are older. Joe, 41, said many of the young people he met were clearly struggling.
“I wanted to do more for them,” he sighs. “There’s not much I can do apart from shining a light on the situation and that was a real struggle. I just wanted to take them all home with me, I just wanted to parent them, but I couldn’t, which was sad.
“Anyone who met these teenagers would come away and feel guilty and feel like they’ve let them down in some way.”
Joe’s focus is on older teens due to leave the care system, unprepared for adulthood. At 18, many have no family or support network and are isolated.
Statistics show those in care are four times likelier to have a criminal record than other kids and more vulnerable to being groomed or lured into gangs.
He is proud that mum Kiffy, widowed when Joe’s youngest sister Shana was just two, became a foster carer. She has looked after his foster brother Daniel for 10 years, since he was eight, and helped him get into university – despite none of her own three kids making it.
Joe tells her: “If it wasn’t for you, no one would have seen Daniel’s potential.”
Kiffy replies: “We love him. he’s always going to be part of our family. Look at Dan now. He’s a confident, handsome, intelligent, stable, loved child. And it shows. My work is done.”
However Daniel’s experience is not repeated for many care leavers.
The Independent Review Of Children’s Social Care in England, commissioned by the Government in 2019, came out last year and found children’s social care in England is at breaking point and needs a “reset” costing far more than the Government is prepared to pay.
Joe reflects: “The review suggests that if we invest £2.6billion now it will completely transform the care system and save us billions down the line.
“But the Government has said they’re putting in £200m. What’s the point of a review if you’re not going to do what it recommends? It is frustrating.”
The review’s chair, Josh MacAllister, tells Joe: “What we’ve got is a care system that was built to care for younger children, not for teenagers.”
He warns that without major investment, in a decade there will be 100,000 children in care in England – 20,000 more than currently. The fastest growing group is older teens, with an increase of 37% in the last decade alone.
Josh warns that children’s homes are full, there too few foster carers and more support is needed for grandparents, aunts and uncles to play a bigger role.
TV star Joe says he and Stacey, both 33, have discussed fostering. They already share three children – Rex, four, Rose, one and four-month-old Belle. Joe also has a son, Harry, 15, from a previous relationship and is stepfather to her sons Zachary, 15, and Leighton, 11.
“When the kids are old enough, we’ll think about fostering,” Joe says. “We love kids and Stacey is on the same page as me. She watched my mum’s journey, she’s watched Daniel’s journey. She’s been a massive support.”
Joe meets sisters Rachel and Leah, who were separated for years and wrongly told by social workers that the other did not like them and wanted no contact.
Meanwhile Casey was abused by her foster carer’s new partner for two years aged just 10, and Daniel is struggling to survive on benefits. Having grown up in three children’s homes, his world fell apart when his nan died.
He says: “Ever since she’s gone I feel like a part of me is missing now.”
Joe pleads: “The system needs to change. As a society, we owe it to them. At 18 to 21, I wasn’t a fully grown adult. I needed my mum and my extended family there to help me. You can only imagine what these kids are going through at 18.
“There’s no support for them. Once you fall though that net there’s not many people there to catch you. We’re setting them up for failure.”
He is particularly moved by Karl, 17, and fears he could be “easily misled”. “Imagine growing up without your mum and dad looking out for you, showing you love. It’s heartbreaking,” he sighs. “There’s so much potential with Karl, but it could go either way.”
EastEnders star Joe, who also won I’m a Celebrity and Dancing On Ice, is moved to tears. “I found it difficult leaving them, then coming home to my family, and having a laugh and feeling the love and warmth of my house,” he explains. “I felt guilty.”
Joe hopes his TV journey might encourage others considering fostering to take the plunge.
He adds: “If you haven’t got the time to do it full time, you can still help. A lot of charities are dying for people to help them. I don’t think everyone realises how bad the care system is.
“Hopefully it will open people’s eyes. The quicker we replace the system that really is broken, the better.”
* Joe Swash: Teens in Care, July 11, 9pm, BBC1
