ABSTRACT
Throughout our inquiry, one theme emerged as particularly dominant: the importance for children in care of stable, reliable, nurturing relationships with those who care for them and manage their care. The failure of the care system to replicate or compensate for the stable relationships that most children have with their parents is one of its most serious and long-standing deficiencies. Even when all the right frameworks and structures are in place, it is the quality of relationships that will determine whether a child in care feels cared about on a day-to-day basis.
