Lumos and Hope and Homes for Children, alongside many other organisations are calling on European governments and European Union institutions to take action and respond to the needs of the most vulnerable children and families during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

There is a great risk of many more children being placed in a care system that is not able to meet their needs and rights. Ultimately the number of children at risk of separation is likely to increase. This paper sets out the challenges that vulnerable children and families are facing, alongside the steps that must be taken to ensure we keep children out of orphanages and other institutions.