Hundreds of children living in care could face a lonely Christmas this year.

Christmas can be an isolating time for many people.

Figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show 502 children lived in the care of Buckinghamshire Council as of end of March.

This means 336 (67 percent) could spend their Christmas in foster care, and 107 (21 percent) in secure units, children’s homes or semi-independent housing.

There were 150 children under 10-years-old who were looked after by Bucks Council, and 27 unaccompanied asylum seekers, the DfE data showed.

 The director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children Imran Hussain said Christmas can be "lonely and isolating" for children in care.

“Away from their families and their friends, often in places far from home; many will not have happy memories of Christmas,” he added.

Those wishing to help this Christmas can donate a healthy breakfast, warm clothes or a Christmas gift for a vulnerable child as part of Action for Children ‘Secret Santa’ campaign.

Imran added: “The best way to ensuring more children have safe and happy Christmases is to fix the care system.

“We need to see a big switch from a system geared to putting children into care, to a system geared to preventing the need for children to go into care in the first place.”

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