About the Children's Family Trust

The Children's Family Trust - picture of boy In 1946, Paul Field was moved to leave his work with the Waifs and Strays Society to found "The Children's Family Trust".

These days it is hard to imagine the world of the 1930's and 40's for children who did not have a natural, loving and caring family home. The options of life within local authority or charitable children's homes and orphanages were bleak enough but, despite regulations in 1930 to prevent children over three years of age being held in the still operational workhouses, there were many still in residence within them. Institutional life was often grim, at best.

The 1945 "Care of Children Committee" set up by the Government to investigate the plight of children in care, found much cause for concern. In its recommendations it contended that deprived children needed a home that supplied affection, security, and personal interest. It also argued that there should be an understanding of the child's needs, care for their future and regard for their personality and self-esteem, with a share in the common life of a small group of people in a homely environment. Paul agreed with all these sentiments, but saw them as a minimum.

Paul Field worked for the Waifs and Strays Society from 1935 and had always been troubled by the requirement to turn the children in his care out into the world alone at the age of just fourteen. They were found a job and lodging, but were then expected to stand on their own two feet just when he saw that they needed so much guidance, support, and love. His distress led him to set up the Trust and to take into his own family the same kinds of children he had looked after before. Now, however, they were to stay within his family for life - on equal terms with his own children.

Despite the struggle to provide for his own extended family, Paul had the vision to see a series of such "families". Once, if barely, established, he set about finding other couples who shared his vision and who were prepared to take up his innovative approach. Over the years that followed, many other families were established and the Trust has since taken into its network of families several hundred children. Each set of "parents" could have brought up well over twenty children in their careers, often with over a dozen at home at any one time. Now many of those pioneering "parents" have many grandchildren and great-children within their family. One of our longer established families reported that, "We have twenty-two children and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren (almost sixty at this point!). Sixteen of our children are married. They are all, without exception, in constant touch."

Our own statistics show that over 90% of the children placed with us are still with us after five years. (This stability rate is probably the highest in the United Kingdom).

The Trust has lived through many changes in the professional thinking and orthodoxy regarding child-care and has adapted several times to live within the prevailing rules and regulations. However, the basic principles and values of the Trust have never been compromised from Paul's view that a loving natural family is every child's birthright.

Paul Field's work was given wider recognition through being the subject of a "This is Your Life" in 1958 and in a biography published in 1960. The work of the Trust thereafter was chronicled in a second book, published in 1996.

We are still a registered charity, and still rely on public support to help fund our work. Because we are a Charity, our Trustees are unpaid and so our expenses are kept to a minimum compared to many of the newer "private-for-profit" firms that now provide child-care services to local authorities.

In 2003 the Trust formally resolved to widen the types of care it provides. Traditionally we had concentrated on providing permanent foster placements yet had taken short-term placements out of compassion. Now the Trust provides for short-term placements as well as long-term. Also, we have moved away from our traditional model of employing parents and placing them within a Trust property. This partly reflects the changing character of domestic life where such large families are no longer familiar, and accepts that smaller families, with perhaps just one foster child, and providing care from their own home may be a more appropriate way to provide for many children.

Our Head Office and Midlands Region are based in Droitwich, but our reach is from South Wales to Sussex and up to the North-East of England (where we have a Regional Office).

As well as developing close working relationships with the various placing Social Services departments we are members of NCVCCO (National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations), BAAF (British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering) and the Fostering Network.

Contact our Administration Manager, Carolyn Gumbley, at Carolyn@thecft.org.uk for more details and a copy of our "Statement of Purpose", or call her on 01905 798229, or write to her at The Children's Family Trust at 4 – 6 St. Andrew's Road, Droitwich, Worcs. WR9 8DN.

	Information on The Children's Family Trust In 1946, Paul Field was moved to leave his work with the Waifs and Strays Society to found "The Children's Family Trust". These days it is hard to imagine the world of the 1930's and 40's for children who did not have a natural, loving and caring family home. The options of life within local authority or charitable children's homes and orphanages were bleak enough but, despite regulations in 1930 to prevent children over three years of age being held in the still operational workhouses, there were many still in residence within them. Institutional life was often grim, at best. The 1945 "Care of Children Committee" set up by the Government to investigate the plight of children in care, found much cause for concern. In its recommendations it contended that deprived children needed a home that supplied affection, security, and personal interest. It also argued that there should be an understanding of the child's needs, care for their future and regard for their personality and self-esteem, with a share in the common life of a small group of people in a homely environment. Paul agreed with all these sentiments, but saw them as a minimum. Paul Field worked for the Waifs and Strays Society from 1935 and had always been troubled by the requirement to turn the children in his care out into the world alone at the age of just fourteen. They were found a job and lodging, but were then expected to stand on their own two feet just when he saw that they needed so much guidance, support, and love. His distress led him to set up the Trust and to take into his own family the same kinds of children he had looked after before. Now, however, they were to stay within his family for life - on equal terms with his own children. Despite the struggle to provide for his own extended family, Paul had the vision to see a series of such "families". Once, if barely, established, he set about finding other couples who shared his vision and who were prepared to take up his innovative approach. Over the years that followed, many other families were established and the Trust has since taken into its network of families several hundred children. Each set of "parents" could have brought up well over twenty children in their careers, often with over a dozen at home at any one time. Now many of those pioneering "parents" have many grandchildren and great-children within their family. One of our longer established families reported that, "We have twenty-two children and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren (almost sixty at this point!). Sixteen of our children are married. They are all, without exception, in constant touch." Our own statistics show that over 90% of the children placed with us are still with us after five years. (This stability rate is probably the highest in the United Kingdom). The Trust has lived through many changes in the professional thinking and orthodoxy regarding child-care and has adapted several times to live within the prevailing rules and regulations. However, the basic principles and values of the Trust have never been compromised from Paul's view that a loving natural family is every child's birthright. Paul Field's work was given wider recognition through being the subject of a "This is Your Life" in 1958 and in a biography published in 1960. The work of the Trust thereafter was chronicled in a second book, published in 1996. We are still a registered charity, and still rely on public support to help fund our work. Because we are a Charity, our Trustees are unpaid and so our expenses are kept to a minimum compared to many of the newer "private-for-profit" firms that now provide child-care services to local authorities. In 2003 the Trust formally resolved to widen the types of care it provides. Traditionally we had concentrated on providing permanent foster placements yet had taken short-term placements out of compassion. Now the Trust provides for short-term placements as well as long-term. Also, we have moved away from our traditional model of employing parents and placing them within a Trust property. This partly reflects the changing character of domestic life where such large families are no longer familiar, and accepts that smaller families, with perhaps just one foster child, and providing care from their own home may be a more appropriate way to provide for many children. Our Head Office and Midlands Region are based in Droitwich, but our reach is from South Wales to Sussex and up to the North-East of England (where we have a Regional Office). As well as developing close working relationships with the various placing Social Services departments we are members of NCVCCO (National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations), BAAF (British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering) and the Fostering Network. Contact our Administration Manager, Carolyn Gumbley, at Carolyn@thecft.org.uk for more details and a copy of our "Statement of Purpose", or call her on 01905 798229, or write to her at The Children's Family Trust at 4 – 6 St. Andrew's Road, Droitwich, Worcs. WR9 8DN.

Information on The Children's Family Trust