Who we are:
Voice of Young People In Care is the only charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to improving the lives of children and young living in and leaving care. But we'll let our young people tell you all about us:
Who are children in care and care leavers?
Children and young people are taken into the care of a Health and Social Care Trust when they can’t remain at home because it is unsafe for them or because their parents are unable to look after them.
Children in care live in foster care, kinship care (extended family), children’s homes, secure care, and some are in hospital settings.
Young people leaving care may live in supported accommodation projects, temporary accommodation like hostels and B&Bs, or their own tenancy. Unfortunately, more care leavers are experiencing homelessness.
What we do:
- VOYPIC provides direct help and support through independent advocacy services.
- Connects young people through forums and groups
- Helps young people to bring about the change they want to see in the care system,
- Develops young people’s capacity and leadership skills
Here is our annual report from last year - https://www.voypic.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Annual-Report-24-25.pdf
What is the need:
- More children in care now than ever before and not enough foster carers or children’s care homes to meet their needs
At 31 March 2025, 4,188 children were looked after in Northern Ireland. The number of children in care continues to rise and was again the highest recorded number of children in care since the introduction of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
- Workforce issues means that not every child has a social worker
This means that children and young people don’t always get the help and support they need when they need it or get to see their family or take part in hobbies and interests as much as they should
- Some young people leaving care face uncertainty, with unemployment, poverty, and homelessness.
This means that young people are reaching out to us in crisis; to secure appropriate housing whilst sleeping rough or sofa surfing; to access crisis loans and universal credit applications; at a basic level to find somewhere warm, clean, with a cup of tea, a bite to eat and a listening ear.
We Want to:
- extend our reach so more children and young people can get help & support
- increase our influence so their voices shape policy and decisions about them
- strengthen the organisation so we can sustain and grow our impact
What will we do with donations?
- We want to reach out and make sure that every child in care knows about VOYPIC and how to get in touch
- We want to make sure that every child who needs it can get help in a crisis or having a problem
- Provide skills training and learning so that young people can continue to help themselves and others
