Almost 200 children have entered state care in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic. Families have broken down amid the pressures of financial worries, job uncertainty and the closure of schools to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Natalie Whelehan, head of policy and public affairs for NSPCC Northern Ireland, said: "We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound and long-lasting impact on children and young people's well-being." From the start of the first lockdown last March to the end of the year, the NSPCC Helpline responded to over 63,000 contacts from people worried about a child.
She added: "There are a variety of reasons why children in Northern Ireland are placed into care, the main ones being abuse and neglect.