Children and young people with care experience gathered in
Cardiff over the weekend for Wales' fourth annual care summit.
The Exploring Radical Reform Summit creates a vital platform
where young people can directly engage with Welsh Government
Ministers to help shape wide-ranging reforms to care services
across Wales.
For the first time, younger children aged 9-14, who are currently
in care, joined 40 young leaders with care experience.
Actor Michael Sheen, patron of Voices from Care Cymru, addressed
the young people through special video messages.
Minister for Children and Social Care, , who attended alongside
Ministers for Education, Social Justice, Finance and Welsh
Language, and Mental Health and Wellbeing, said:
“Listening directly to young people with experience of care is
essential to creating meaningful reform.
“Including younger children for the first time this year brought
fresh perspectives that will help us build a care system that
truly meets their needs. Their voices are not just being heard –
they are actively shaping policy.
“It is timely that this summit takes place in the same month as
National Children's Day. We want a Wales for all children, where
every child feels valued, respected and heard.”
Young Ambassador and Co- Chair of the event, Georgia
Toman, said
“It really means a lot to care experienced young people that
Welsh Ministers spend time listening to us and taking us
seriously.
“We know big change can't happen overnight, but it was good to
hear from Cabinet Secretaries and Minsters what they and their
teams have been doing to deliver Radical Reform. Our plea to them
was to keep the pressure up. With the Senedd election in a year's
time we are keen to see as much achieved as possible.”
