Family court urgent care hearings rise since coronavirus lockdown

Lockdown stress and money worries putting larger numbers of vulnerable children at risk

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Urgent care proceedings in the family courts have increased sharply since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian has learned.

Judicial sources say that a combination of the lockdown leading to families being forced to spend the majority of their time together, often in confined spaces, increased drinking by some parents and major money worries are a toxic combination which is putting vulnerable children at risk. Some family courts have seen a fivefold increase in care proceedings cases in recent weeks.

Related: Coronavirus puts vulnerable UK children at greater risk, campaigners warn

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ciCJD8