Statistics: England

On this page:

> Children in public care
> Placements
> Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
> Private Fostering
> Adoption Orders by date of Court Order
> Adoptions from Care
> Adoption Search and Reunion
> Sources

Children in public care

65,520 children were in the care of local authorities on 31st March 2011. The rate of looked after children per 10,000 under 18 years was 59

Gender

56% (36,470) of children looked after on 31st March 2011 were boys and 44% (29,050) were girls

Age

• 6% (3,660) of children looked after on 31st March 2011 were under 1 year old
• 18% (12,020) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 18% (11,830) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• 37% (24,160) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• 21% (13,860) were aged 16 and over

Placements

• 74% (48,530) of children looked after on 31st March 2011 were living with foster carers
• 9% (5,890) were living in secure units, children's homes or hostels
• 6% (3,970) were living with their parents
• 4% (2,450) were placed for adoption
• 3% (2,020) were placed in residential schools or other residential settings

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children

2,680 unaccompanied asylum seeking children were looked after on 31st March 2011

• 89% (2,370) were boys and 11% (310) were girls

Private Fostering

1,649 children were known to be living under private fostering arrangements at 31st March 2011

2,308 new private fostering arrangements began and 2,332 ended during the year ending 31st March 2011

2,678 new notifications were received during the year ending 31st March 2011

Adoption Orders by date of Court Order

• 4,472 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2010

NB Figures on adoption orders apply to adoptions by relatives and step–parents as well as adoptions from care

Adoptions from Care

3,050 children were adopted from care during the year ending 31st March 2011

Gender

51% (1,560) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2011 were boys and 49% (1,500) were girls

Age

The average age at adoption was 3 years 10 months

• 2% (60) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2011 were under 1 year old
• 71% (2,170) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 24% (730) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
• 3% (90) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
• x% (x) were aged 16 and over (figures not shown to protect confidentiality)

Adopters

91% (2,900) children were adopted by couples and 9% (280) by single adopters during the year ending 31st March 2010

Waiting times

72.4% children were placed for adoption within 12 months of best interest decision during the year ending 31st March 2010

Adoption Search and Reunion

The Adoption Contact Register for England and Wales
At 30th June 2001, there were 19,683 adoptees and 8,492 relatives on the Adoption Contact Register for England and Wales, and 539 successful matches had been made since the start of the Adoption Contact Register in 1991.

Sources:

Children looked after by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers): year ending 31 March 2011
www.education.gov.uk

Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers): year ending 31 March 2010
www.education.gov.uk

Private fostering arrangements in England: Year Ending 31 March 2011
www.education.gov.uk

Adoption Orders in England and Wales, 2010
www.statistics.gov.uk

Adoptees and Relatives who Wish to Contact Each Other Using the Adoption Contact Register: Trends, relationships and proportions of records matched, from Population Trends, No 106, Winter 2001
www.statistics.gov.uk (pdf)

Children's Social Work Statistics 2012 Edition (Scotland but some data in additional tables covers all countries)
www.scotland.gov.uk