top of page
Roger Roberts' A Childhood Crushed Reopens Questions About Britain's Historical Care System
23/06/26, 11:00
Roger Roberts' A Childhood Crushed Reopens Questions About Britain's Historical Care System, Especially Relevant Today in Light of the Recent Preston Davey Court Case .
- At a time when the experiences of care leavers and former looked-after children continue to attract public attention, Roger Roberts' A Childhood Crushed: In the Care of London County Council offers a powerful contribution to the discussion.
Drawing on personal memories, official records and years of investigation, Roberts revisits his childhood in care and the decisions that shaped his life. For decades he was led to believe that neither of his parents wanted him. Access to historical records later revealed evidence that challenged that understanding and prompted a search for answers.
The book explores the consequences of adoption and fostering decisions, the lasting effects of family separation, and the difficulties many former children in care face when attempting to reconstruct their own histories. While rooted in one individual's experience, the questions it raises extend far beyond a single case.
Part memoir, part investigation and part social history, A Childhood Crushed contributes to ongoing conversations about accountability, record keeping, child welfare, and the treatment of vulnerable children within historical care systems.
As policymakers, researchers and former care residents continue to examine the legacy of past practices, Roberts' work provides an important first-hand perspective on a subject that remains both relevant and deeply personal.
bottom of page