Chris Wild

1996, I left care and found myself in a bedsit. My first Christmas Day I had a Pot Noodle on my own. Fast forward 30 years and young people leaving care are doing the same. How can we let this happen? Children in care are still children.

Over the past few days, I’ve spoken openly at conferences across the country about a harsh reality, our care system for children and young people is collapsing, and the return of outdated, broken systems feels inevitable. Too many young people, aged 18 and over, are leaving foster placements, care home settings only to find themselves homeless, their education disrupted, and their lives in tatters. Semi-independent care isn’t a stepping stone—it’s a punishment for those who have no choice but to live with constant fear and uncertainty. Our government must act now to stop young people in care from taking their own lives. The cracks are widening, and yet no political party is treating this crisis with the urgency it demands.

What no one wants to admit is happening is happening across the country, vulnerable children in our care system are being exploited for enormous profit. Rogue landlords are charging extortionate prices to accommodate children, and the government currently has no power to stop it. This exploitation is a major reason why many local authorities declare Section 114 and why children endure various forms of abuse. Unless local authorities reclaim control and the government imposes strict caps, this cycle will continue—and the most vulnerable children will continue to suffer the consequences.

@HivranDalkaya @CllrGuzel @MahmutAksanoglu @EylemYuruk5 Excellent work

Proud to be at the launch of our vision for Enfield. We have a manifesto that puts residents first to build a borough that works for everyone. Vote Labour on 7th May for a cleaner, safer and affordable Enfield 🌹 #enfieldlabour #LabourTogether

The government is quick to call out abuse across every sector, but children and young people in our care system are subjected to abuse every single day. Not just physical or sexual abuse, but social abuse—where their lives suddenly lose value to the very system meant to protect them once they turn 18. Let’s not forget that in 2025, 91 young people from our care system took their own lives—and those are only the ones that were recorded. Girls and boys are being left to defend themselves, forced to simply survive. The numbers are rising. More young people are being pushed into homelessness and pulled into criminal organisations because of their vulnerability. The care cliff is real. Protect one. Protect all.

A simple message that keeps being ignored, children in care are still children. That’s why storytelling matters. Every room, every conversation, every shared experience has the potential to shift perspective and remind people what really matters.

For years I have fought for justice for survivors of abuse within children’s social care. What happened at Skircoat Lodge Children’s Home in Halifax must never happen again. Until vulnerable children and young people are truly made a priority, the cracks in an already underfunded and under-resourced system will remain. examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-new…

@WelchJacinta @Jess4Lowestoft @TravelodgeUK It's happening without any safeguards in place.

@ccwild79 @Jess4Lowestoft @TravelodgeUK That's horrendous.

Seriously @TravelodgeUK - how can any woman feel safe staying at one of your hotels with this level of response? And to offer £30? How deplorable. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Let’s stop dressing it up with softer words. If someone is involved in grooming gangs, they are abusing children. And anyone who sexually abuses a child is a paedophile. That’s not rhetoric, it’s reality. A child cannot consent. A child cannot defend themselves against manipulation by adults who exploit trust, vulnerability, and power. Calling it anything less than what it is only weakens the seriousness of the crime. If you harm a child sexually, you are a paedophile. Full stop

You’d expect a cross-party alliance when it comes to our most vulnerable children and young people, especially those in the care system. The majority of care leavers live in sheer poverty, often without any support whatsoever. And here’s the thing — as a child in care, you don’t get to decide what happens to you. That’s why it should be a protected characteristic.

@ccwild79 Not a party candidate but as an Independent @VoteAshRegan puts child safeguarding at the heart of all she does at Holyrood and it is core to her election campaign. It must not be allowed to slip out of sight (again).

A quick reminder to every political party out there, don’t ignore the most vulnerable children and young people in our care system. In 2026, they are still suffering all kinds of abuse, treated like second-class citizens, and abandoned at 18—falling off the care cliff, groomed into criminal gangs and forced into homelessness. Make them a priority in your manifesto. Their lives depend on it.

My mission was always to give survivors a voice. I told my story -Damaged-so others could come forward — and they did. Justice has begun, but it is not over. Those who turned a blind eye will face the courts.

@officialsammyuk And many professionals who turned a blind eye. More to come on this story.

Former boss of Halifax Skircoat Lodge care home abused children for decades. The people paid to protect children are often the most evil of all. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

I am calling on @Calderdale Council to issue a full and public apology to the survivors of Skircoat Lodge Children's Home in Halifax. Too many survivors have already died without receiving the recognition, justice, and apology they deserved. It must never happen again.

To my friends whose childhoods were stolen by these predators, justice has finally been served. But while this chapter closes, innocent children in our care system are still being abused. The fight continues until we build a care system we can truly be proud of.

Justice has finally been served — but it came far too late for the hundreds of children who suffered at the hands of predators working at Skircoat Lodge Children's Home in Halifax. Let this be a warning to anyone, past or present, who thinks children in our care system are disposable — who treat them like wild animals, like second-class citizens. We were children. We deserved protection. To my friends I lost to suicide because of what was done to them — this is for you. Your voices were silenced, but your truth will never be buried. Damaged isn’t just a memoir of my life. It’s survival. It’s truth. It’s a promise that change is coming. And it’s time to fix this broken system once and for all. To those at Calderdale Council who turned a blind eye — survivors deserve more than silence. They deserve a public apology. Know this. #changeiscoming

@wesstreeting @NazShahBfd @SadiqKhan Amazing woman.

If you only read one thing today, make it this interview with @NazShahBfd. Her book, ‘Honoured’, is unlike any I’ve ever read. @SadiqKhan describes it as traumatic. That’s right. This woman is BRAVE and I really hope people read her story. theguardian.com/politics/2026/…

Let’s be brutally honest, for decades, people in positions of power have abused vulnerable children in our care system and walked away without a single criminal investigation. Paedophiles shielded by their status and connections. Children and young people silenced, disbelieved, and abandoned by the very state that was supposed to protect them. This isn’t history. It’s still happening — across the country. Power to the people. #changeiscoming

For decades, thousands of children in our care system have had their lives torn apart — their innocence stolen by those with power and influence. No true apology. No decisive action. Just a government that refuses to fortify the laws needed to protect the most vulnerable among us. But the political landscape is shifting. Voters have had enough. The silence is breaking. The excuses are wearing thin. It is time for accountability. It is time for justice. It is time for change.

For the past 15 years, I have campaigned tirelessly to reform the care system for children and young people. This mission is deeply personal to me. Every day, hundreds of vulnerable young people are still subjected to abuse that goes unseen and unheard. Receiving this nomination is not just an honour — it is an opportunity to shine a light on their experiences and to strengthen the call for lasting change. @BigIssue