The links between literacy and care have received little attention. A general neglect of the affective domain in the academe is strongly echoed in traditional analyses of unmet adult literacy needs where economic causes and consequences dominate debates. The findings from a study of people who are survivors of institutional abuse and neglect suggest that the affective poverty that results from care inequalities has a major adverse influence on the learning of literacy and all the relationships that literacy should subsequently facilitate. Despite its lifelong impact, educational disadvantage can be overshadowed by more shocking aspects of abuse. Recognising the complex nature of literacy learning care may open up a new perspective on the environment in which literacy can flourish and on where responsibility lies to ensure equal access to those fertile surroundings.