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Former Children's Homes

A warm welcome to the Former Children's Homes website. Having started in 2011, this is the first dedicated encyclopaedia of life in former children's homes and orphanages.

Over the years, thousands and thousands of children spent time in these homes and yet we know very little about what life was like for them.

The idea of this site is to share our memories and our family history research to build up a picture of what life was really like for people in children's homes so you are very welcome to contribute any information and photographs to the site and, of course, please feel free to tell us when we have got something wrong. This is a complicated topic and we may very well make mistakes.

Gudrun Jane Limbrick 2024
hello@formerchildrenshomes.org.uk

NEW!

Having had lots of messages from people recently asking how they can locate their care records, I have sought details from every council in England, Scotland and Wales, and come have up with a list of how to contact each one.

The Scotland list - you can find it here

England and Wales - here.

CLICK TO SAVE US!

We raise a few pence every time you click on one of the Google adverts. If everyone who visited the site clicked on an advert, the future of this important site would be guaranteed.

(and you might just find something you like...)

This site has grown and grown and is now loaded with information.

To help you find your way around, have a look at our quick guide.

Search for a particular home:

Browse our bookshop:

Did you know?

Jelly babies were created by Fryers of Lancashire in 1864. They weren't known as jelly babies then but were called 'Unclaimed Babies' after the orphaned and abandoned infants which were all too common at the time.

Whats new?
A QUCK RUN THROUGH
WHAT IS NEW ON THIS SITE

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Details of about a hundred children's homes
in Birmingham just added.