The emotional, social and academic problems of children and young people in public care have long been documented and many researchers have named the chief culprits as a deeply flawed corporate care system and an unsympathetic education. While the need for major improvements to both corporate care and education is recognized, in this paper, a perspective, which links early childhood experiences with restricted life outcomes, is presented and it is argued that it is parental rejection (often accompanied by abuse and neglect) which is a major mediating factor in the often designed to empower residential staff and foster- carers to provide not only high- quality parenting, but also the sensitive support which can enable children and young people in care to cope with parental rejection, abuse and neglect. It is also argued that these two tasks (good parenting and appropriate emotional support) are key factors in supporting the successful emotional, social and academic development of children in public care.