Who will cry for the little girl Who was placed in children's care? Who will cry for the little girl Abused again in there? ISN Survivor: from poem 'Gift of Tears'
Full List of 42 Islington Children’s Homes
Click on each home’s link for further information – we are slowly covering every home from our research. This is not an exhaustive list and we do not have a great deal of detail on each home, at the moment. If you could supply further information or pictures please contact us.
The numbers of Islington Children’s Homes may change as work progresses and we learn more about individual homes. More survivors and witnesses are coming forward all the time which helps piece all the information together.
Angle Ways, Stevenage
17 Ardilaun Road, N5
Ashbrooke, 103 Park Avenue, Enfield, Middlesex
Ashley Road, London N19
Colgrain, 1 Dukes Avenue, Muswell Hill, N10 2PS
158 Collins Meadow, Hare Street, Harlow, Essex
14 Conewood Street / Park Place, Islington N5 1DL
Copthorne, 16-18 Village Road, Enfield, Middlesex
Dixton, Hadley Common, Barnet EN5 5QG
1 and 3 Elwood Street, Islington N5 1EB (demolished)
Gisburne House, 95 Gammons Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire (demolished)
Gorsefield House, Stansted, Essex
114 Grosvenor Avenue, Islington N5 2NY
60 Hare Street Springs, Hare Street, Harlow, Essex
71 Hemingford Road, Islington
11-12 Highbury Crescent, Islington N5 1RU
18 Highbury Grove, Islington N5 1HJ (known as the hostel)
29 Highbury New Park, Islington N5 2EN
80 Highbury New Park, Islington N5 2DJ
Holmleigh, 35 Solna Road, Winchmore Hill, N21
66 Hydean Way, Leaves Spring, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
44 Islington Park Street, Islington N1 1PX
Langley House, South Ockendon, Essex
75a Mildmay Park, Islington N1 4NB (known as Mac’s hostel)
35a Mildmay Park across the road from 75a Mildmay Park
132 Mildmay Road, Islington N1 4NE
17 and 28 The Muntings, Leaves Spring, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
New Park House, 1 Hanyards Lane, Cuffley, Hertfordshire
26-28 Northampton Park, Islington N1 2PJ
13 and 342 Northbrooks, Hare Street, Harlow, Essex
Oak Lodge, 32 Alexandra Rd, Wood Green, N8 0PN
26 and 39 Peartree Way, Leaves Spring, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
52-6 Ryecroft, Hare Street, Harlow, Essex
11 Sheringham Road, Islington N7 (demolished)
35 Solna Road, Winchmore Hill, N21
The Beeches, Suffolk (Islington and other Boroughs sent children here)
13 Torrington Park, North Finchley, London N12
Widbury House, Ware, Herts
Council Records on Numbers in LBI Care
1975: 562 children in and out of borough in residential placements. 33% in borough. 11 homes for 188 children in Islington (written on above map). 8 homes for 72 chilren in other London Boroughs. 14 homes for 144 children out of London. 158 children in voluntary sector homes. 219 foster homes 9Dec 1974). 9 adoptions between April 73 and March 74.
An Islington Council Newsletter dated 12.02.1981 stated that the number of children resident in children’s homes run by Islington had fallen from 270 to 240, which differs from the above.
In 1990 Islington Council wrote that there were 100 children in residential care. It was said that this was half the number of a decade before (Islington Gazette 31.05.1990 ‘No place like home’).
In 1998, a report said there was no evidence of abuse of the “41 young residents” in Islington Council’s “seven children homes” (see article below). The authority had drastically reduced the number of children’s homes which they owned and managed.
Black and Ethnic Minority children in residential care.
Very little documentation is available other than the council minutes of 1986 which cite 50% of children in residential care as being of ‘black and other ethnic minority origin’. It is unlikely that this statistic includes foster care but it states that only 25% of ‘officer staff’ are from similar backgrounds. It is unclear who are ‘officer staff’. Survivors have consistently spoken to ISN about racism in all settings and their comments are included where they belong in the named homes and in foster placements.
