Government considers ‘life changing’ UK boarding school places for some children in care

The Gibraltar Government will examine offering places at UK boarding schools to some children in the care of the Care Agency, in a move intended to provide them with greater educational opportunities, stability and support.

The Minister for Health, Care and Business, Gemma Arias Vasquez, announced the proposal during the Budget debate, saying placements would only be considered where professionals determined they were in the best interests of each child.

The announcement came as Ms Arias Vasquez confirmed that the number of looked-after children had fallen from 67 to 58, although 42 children remained in residential care.

She said the number in residential care continued to place significant pressure on Children’s Services.

“Given the high number of children in residential care, the Cabinet has decided that the Government will look at ways of offering placements at UK boarding schools for a number of children in the care of the Care Agency, where this is assessed to be in their best interests,” Mrs Arias Vasquez said.

The minister stressed that the proposal would not apply to every child and that placements would not be made automatically.

“This will not be for every child.”

“It will not be automatic.”

“It will be carefully assessed, professionally led and centred entirely on the needs, wishes, safety and long-term wellbeing of each individual child.”

“But for some children, this could be life changing.”

“We need to be honest enough to say that, for some young people, the cycle they are in is not easy to break.”

Mrs Arias Vasquez said some children in care had experienced trauma, instability and disruption “that most of us can barely imagine”.

They could benefit from access to a different environment offering education, routine and pastoral support, Parliament was told.

“They need safety, yes,” she said.

“They need care, yes.”

“But they also need opportunity.”

“They need structure.”

“They need education.”

“They need a chance to see a different future for themselves.”

Ms Arias Vasquez said the policy was intended to provide opportunities that some children might not otherwise receive and to help them develop confidence and aspirations for the future.

“It is about giving some of our children in care an opportunity they may never otherwise have had.”

“It is about giving them access to a stable educational environment, pastoral support, routine, confidence, aspiration and the chance to build a different path.”

“It is about saying to those children, your start in life does not have to define your whole life.”

She said the Care Agency would work with education professionals, social workers, carers, families where appropriate and the children when assessing whether a placement was suitable.

“Safeguarding, emotional wellbeing, educational need and the child’s own voice will be central to every decision,” she said.

Mrs Arias Vasquez said residential services currently provided children with individual care plans, behaviour support plans, risk assessments and access to educational and therapeutic support.

But she said the proposed boarding school placements could offer some children an additional pathway, helping them move beyond the instability or trauma they had experienced.

“We cannot undo the trauma some children have experienced,” she said.

“We cannot rewrite their past.”

“But we can intervene in their present.”

“And we can invest in their future.”

Ms Arias Vasquez said the policy aimed not only to safeguard children while they were in care, but also to improve their longer-term prospects.

“If even one child is able to break a cycle because of this opportunity, if one child discovers confidence they did not know they had, if one child returns to Gibraltar with broader horizons, stronger self-belief and a clearer path for their future, then this policy will have been worth it.”

FOSTERING

In parallel, the Government is also considering changes to the Crimes Act to provide stronger protection for foster carers and adoptive parents who are harassed, threatened or targeted because of their role.

Mrs Arias Vasquez announced the move as she highlighted a fall in both the number of foster carers and the number of children placed with them.

Between April 2025 and April 2026, the number of children living with foster carers fell from 20 to 14, while the number of foster carers dropped from 12 to 10.

The number of children placed with connected carers, such as relatives or people with an existing relationship with the child, fell from 14 to 11. The number of approved connected carers remained at seven.

Ms Arias Vasquez described the situation as “fragile” and said Gibraltar needed more people to come forward to foster children.

She said the shortage of placements meant some children could have to remain in residential care even where living in a family environment would be preferable.

“When there are not enough foster placements available, more children may need to be placed in residential care,” she said.

“In some cases, that may be necessary, but in many cases a family-based placement would be preferable.”

“Foster placements can support stability and better long-term outcomes.”

“They can also reduce reliance on high-cost residential provision, which, however good, is no replacement for the residential care given at home.”

There were 15 enquiries from people interested in fostering or adopting during the year.

She said increasing fostering capacity was necessary both to improve outcomes for children and to reduce Gibraltar’s reliance on residential care.

But she acknowledged that potential foster carers in a small community could be concerned about facing pressure, hostility or harassment after opening their homes to a child.

“One of the barriers to fostering in a small community like Gibraltar is not only the responsibility of caring for a child,” she said.

“It is also the fear that foster carers may be exposed to pressure, hostility or harassment simply because they have stepped forward to help.”

The minister said work would be undertaken with the Minister for Justice to consider amendments to the Crimes Act 2011.

Under the proposal, a court could treat harassment or other criminal behaviour as an aggravating factor where the victim was targeted because they were a foster carer or adoptive parent.

“In simple terms, if someone targets a person because they are a foster carer, or because they are perceived to be a foster carer, the law should be capable of recognising the seriousness of that,” Mrs Arias Vasquez said, adding foster carers performed an essential role by providing children with safety, stability and care.

“They should not be intimidated for doing so.”

“They should not be harassed for doing so.”

“And they should not be made to feel unsafe because they have chosen to help a child who needs them.”

She said Gibraltar’s size could create particular pressures for foster carers and their families, despite the advantages of living in a close community.

The proposed amendments will require detailed legal drafting and will be developed with the Ministry of Justice.