Action For Children starts nationwide search for descendants of first kids in care

A nationwide search is underway for the descendants of some of the first children to be placed into care in the UK.

To mark its 150th anniversary, the charity Action For Children has released several historic images from its archives of vulnerable youngsters from the Victorian era.

They were looked after in some of the oldest care homes in the UK, first established by Action For Children back in the late 1800s when it was known as the National Children’s Home.

It was a time of widespread poverty and those taken into care had often experienced the loss of parents to illness, or were given up by poor families who wanted to give them a better life.

It is hoped that people will be able to identify family members from the 30 newly-released photos, to add to the handful of relatives already tracked down by Action For Children.

One of those found so far is Chris Barned from east London – the great, great grandson of George Oliver, the first boy to be looked after by the charity in 1869, at its first home in Lambeth.

Mr Barned said: “Discovering that he was the very first child ever taken in by the charity has been a huge surprise, especially when I realised he lived in east London, so close to where I now live and work.

“We’ve been walking the same streets as him for years with no idea there was such an emotional connection. I’m very proud to find out about his story, and to know that he went on to live a long and happy life.

“To see pictures of him as a child really has been amazing and there’s a strong family resemblance between George and my Dad which has been incredible to see.”

Carol Iddon, managing director of services at Action For Children, said the campaign to find more people like Mr Barned would play an important role in raising awareness of the work the charity does.

She said too many children were still growing up in poverty.

“This search is a reminder of how far we’ve come when it comes to helping the most vulnerable in society, but also how far we still have to go to make sure children today have a safe and stable future,” she said.

“Every day at Action for Children we still see families under threat of losing their home, living with problems like domestic violence or struggling to put food on the table.

“All the while, children’s services are continuously being stripped back due to lack of government funding.

“Our 150th year is a time to remember the first children we cared for and to hear their stories.

“But it should also serve as wake-up call to the work government and charities need to do now to invest in our children today and give them the childhoods they deserve.”

:: All 30 images are being featured at actionforchildren.org.uk/archive. If you recognise anyone, or you know of an ancestor who was in National Children’s Home accommodation, email 150@actionforchildren.org.uk.

(c) Sky News 2019: Action For Children starts nationwide search for descendants of first kids in care