On 24 September 2025, governments and civil society gathered in New York to launch the Global Charter on Children’s Care Reform in a global effort to ensure that every child grows up in a safe, nurturing family, not an institution. The UK Government has championed this initiative as part of its wider campaign on children’s care reform.

We were proud that two leaders from the Care Leaders Council (CLC), Maicol and Phong, were there to represent the voices of young people with lived experience of care. Their presence brought both hard-won insight and urgency to a high-level discussion that too often happens without those most affected by its outcomes.

The Martin James Foundation helped make their participation possible because we believe that the people most affected by a policy must be present when it is made. We are also grateful to partners across the care reform movement, including the Better Care Network and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), for standing behind care-experienced leadership.

The Care Leaders Council has since published a compelling reflection on the event, outlining what they believe needs to happen for the Charter to deliver real change. Their article identifies several practical indicators of progress, which are clear, trackable, and politically meaningful.  That could help measure whether the Charter becomes a true landmark for reform.

“Please read the Care Leaders Council’s reflections, originally published on LinkedIn, to hear directly from care-experienced young people about the future they want to shape. We share their message in the hope that the launch of the Global Charter marks not an endpoint, but the beginning of a global conversation, one that will help ensure more children grow up in families, not institutions.”