Children in care die at twice the rate of others. Why are so few of their deaths reviewed?

Children in Scotland’s care system are twice as likely to die as others, yet the majority of their deaths are still not being reviewed, The Ferret has found. 

Campaigners say these revelations, revealed in a freedom of information (FoI) request, mean vital lessons that could save lives are not being learned. 

The data also suggests almost two-thirds of the deaths of children in care over the last five years have not been reviewed. Scottish Government policy states that the deaths of all under 18s, as well as those of care leavers up to 26 should be investigated to help prevent future deaths. 

The “tragic” findings showed urgent action was needed and said the lack of transparency about the dates and outcomes of death reviews was “unacceptable” and flagged serious "accountability failures,” campaigners argued. One mother, whose son died in foster care and whose death by suicide was not subject to a review, said she was “trapped in her grief” by unanswered questions.

The Ferret obtained a number of FoI requests as a report was released by the National Hub for reviewing and learning from the deaths of children and young people – a joint Health Improvement Scotland and Care Commission project.

Several of the responses gave contradictory numbers on deaths, underlining concerns raised last month about the lack of reliable data on the deaths of young people in care raised by the Promise Oversight Board, an organisation monitoring the implementation of Scotland’s 2020 care review.

However, the most comprehensive figures suggest 105 children and young people have died in the last five years, an average of 21 each year. 

Other figures, provided by the Scottish Government, suggested 22 children in care – or who were under 26 and care leavers receiving after care services – died in 2025. Using figures for the deaths of all children, The Ferret has calculated that this is twice the death rate of children who have not been in the care system.

Suicide and self harm causing deaths of young people in care

At least 16 children and young people have died of suicide or drug overdoses while in the care system since 2021, the youngest of whom took their own life at just 11 years old, The Ferret has found. Their deaths – which have prompted “outrage” – were among 38 of young people

The FerretKarin Goodwin

Causes of premature deaths

Previously The Ferret has found at least 16 children and young people died of suicide or drug overdoses while in the care system between 2021 and 2024, the youngest of whom took their own life at just 11 years old.

The most recent FoI requests, made by Glasgow University as part of its annual monitoring of deaths in state care, did not give breakdowns of the cause of death. But details from the Care Commission of 37 deaths from 2021 to 2025 showed a quarter of the children who died were in foster care and were aged between six and 17. 

Others who died were under a care supervision order – where the child is looked after at home but with social work involvement – in residential care or schools. Six children in the details provided were under five years old. 

Not all the deaths were preventable – and some were due to health conditions. Data showed at least three children in the last five years died in a hospital and two died in residential care homes where they were living due to health complications.

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Young people leaving care are still being left homeless and at risk, in unsuitable hostels surrounded by drugs, or too afraid to sleep at night despite a Scottish Government “promise” to ensure they are given a safe and loving home for as long as needed, The Ferret has heard. The

The FerretKarin Goodwin

‘Unacceptable’ lack of learning from deaths

But despite the seemingly disproportionate number of preventable deaths, only 40 out of the 105 deaths were subject to a review process, according to an FoI from the national hub. It is not clear which deaths have been investigated. 

The NHS Inform website says death reviews are required “to learn about the circumstances surrounding their care and death” claiming it is “important to understand as much as possible about what happened”.

“A review of a child’s care and the circumstances around their death helps families understand what happened,”  it continues. “It also means services can learn any lessons that could prevent other children or young people dying from similar causes.”

Last year we told the story of Nina, a migrant mother whose son had been removed from her care when he was two years old and had later, aged 15, taken his own life while in permanent foster care. His death has not been reviewed, leaving his birth mother “trapped” in her grief and unable to move on due to her unanswered questions about his death. 

“I can’t move on,” explains Nina. “I am like a zombie. I don’t have a life. I have so many questions about my son’s death. I need to find out what really happened and for there to be some accountability. It is not fair that this hasn’t happened.”

A teen took his own life in foster care. His migrant mother says cultural bias led to her family being ripped apart

On one side of Nina’s bright living room, life is flourishing. Plants line the large window, green and verdant, the tendrils of one tumbling vigorously down the side of a high shelf. But on the other side, where a small memorial has been set up, time has frozen. Cut

The FerretJuliana da Penha

Contradictory data

Glasgow university’s Professor Sarah Armstrong, the lead author of the deaths in state care report, expressed concern that the three organisations sent FoIs by her team – Health Improvement Scotland, the Care Commission and the Scottish Government – provided different figures for deaths. She was critical too of a national hub, who in their most recent report, did not analyse details of deaths reported, as it claimed the numbers were too small to provide “robust” learning points. 

“How many more years are needed until there is a large enough number of deaths so that the data is robust enough to analyse?” Armstrong asked. ”How many more lives might have been saved in that time?” In February 2020 Scotland published The Promise – a series of recommendations to review the care system for children and young people – which stated that all children should “grow up loved, safe, respected, and able to realise their full potential”.

A bill passed in March 2026 put many of the suggested reforms into law. David Anderson, chair of the Promise Oversight Board, who also has past experience of the care system said: “It is completely unacceptable that, on an issue as serious as the deaths of care-experienced children and young people, Scotland cannot clearly show who has died, who was reviewed, what was learned and what changed. 

“Families should not need journalists, academics or an oversight board to piece this together from different places,” he added. “If the system cannot explain this clearly, it is not a technical problem. It is an accountability failure.”

“It is completely unacceptable that, on an issue as serious as the deaths of care-experienced children and young people, Scotland cannot clearly show who has died, who was reviewed, what was learned and what changed.” – David Anderson, chair of the Promise Oversight Board 

A spokesperson for Healthcare Improvement Scotland said: “The death of any child is extremely distressing for all of those involved and it is important that we learn as much as we can from these tragic events.They promised to “report on emerging themes over time, as we build richer data”. The spokesperson added: These reports aim to ensure the death of every child in Scotland is subject to a thorough review and keeps bereaved families and carers fully informed.”

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said all deaths “must be treated with compassion, dignity and respect” .“Where possible, it is important that valuable learning from these deaths is shared across relevant partners,” they added. 

Minister for The Promise Siobhian Brown claimed Scotland was making significant progress in making reforms to the care system, with an 18 per cent reduction in the number of children in care since 2020.

“Every premature death of a care-experienced person is a tragedy,” she told The Ferret. “This year we introduced a law requiring ministers to report annually on the deaths of looked after children, to help us learn from each case and reduce the risk of premature death.

“We continue to work with our partners to improve processes and clarify responsibilities in the event of the death of a looked after child or young person. All such cases should be reviewed by the local authority.”