A new children's home has opened in Weston Turville, providing a safe and supportive home for children and young people in Buckinghamshire's care.
Evergreen Lodge is Buckinghamshire Council's tenth children's home and the latest to open as part of the council's ambitious Children's Home Programme. Once complete, the programme will deliver 17 council-run homes, providing high-quality care for more than 49 local children. The new two-bedroom home has been designed to offer a warm, family-style environment where children can remain close to their schools, friends and support networks. Keeping children within their local communities helps provide stability at what can often be a difficult time in their lives.
The programme is also delivering better value for Buckinghamshire residents. By expanding its own children's homes, Buckinghamshire Council expects to save around £7.5 million every year from 2027/28, reducing the need to rely on more expensive private providers. Those savings can then be reinvested into services that support children and families across the county.
Commenting on the opening, Cllr Carl Jackson, Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet Member for Education & Children's Services, said:
"Having a safe place to call home is vital for children and young people in our care. Our children's home programme is delivering more children's homes which enable local children and young people to live in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment where they can build bright futures.
"By creating our own in-house care homes, Buckinghamshire Council will avoid spending millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on places in more expensive private children's homes. Those savings will free up more resources to support local children and young people."
The opening of Evergreen Lodge marks another important milestone in Buckinghamshire Council's commitment to improving outcomes for children in care while ensuring public money is spent wisely. By investing in local, council-run provision, more young people can receive the care and stability they need close to the communities they know, giving them the best possible start for the future.
