Statistics: Scotland

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> Children in public care
> Placements
> Adoption
> Sources

Children in public care

• 16,171 children were in the care of local authorities on 31st July 2011.
• Of these, 34% (5,440) were looked after at home and 66% (10,730) were looked after away from home
• 4,845 children started to be looked after during the year ending 31st July 2011
• 4,746 children ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31st July 2011
• The rates of looked after children per 10,000 under 18 years is 156

Gender

54.3% (8,635) of children looked after on 31st July 2010 were boys and 45.7% (7,257) were girls

51% of the 4,845 children that started to be looked in the year ending 31 July 2011 were boys and 49% were girls. 

Age

• 2% (373) of children looked after on 31st July 2010 were under 1 year old
• 19% (2,968) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
• 37% (5,897) were aged between 5 and 11 years old
• 32% (5,047) were aged between 12 and 15 years old
• 9% (1,423) were aged 16 or 17
• 1% (184) were aged between 19 and 21 years old

Ethnicity

• 91.1% (14,485) of children looked after on 31st July 2010 were white
• 1.5% (246) were of mixed ethnicity
• 0.6% (101) were Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British
• 0.5% (72) were Black, Black Scottish or Black British
• 0.3% (52) were from other ethnic groups
• 0.5% (86) were of undisclosed ethnic origin
• 5.3% (850) were of unknown ethnic origin

Placements

• 34% (5,437) of children looked after on 31st July 2011 were living at home. This is a decrease of 5% on the previous year.
• 33% (5,296) were living with foster carers or prospective adopters
• 25% (3,963) were living on an other community placement, which includes 'with friends/family'. This is an increase of 5% on the 2010 figures.
• 9% (1,475) were living in residential accommodation

Adoption

• 218 children ceasing to be looked after during the year ending 31st July 2010 were adopted
• 325 children were adopted by non-relatives during 2010*
• 466 adoptions took place in 2010 (includes step-parent (27.5%), grandparent(s) (1.1%), other relation(s) (1.7%) and no relation (69.7%) adoptions)*

*Statistics on adoptions in Scotland are provided by the Registrar General for Scotland, which registers adoptions under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (previously the Adoption of Children (Scotland) Act 1930).

Sources:

Looked After Children Statistics 2010–11 www.scotland.gov.uk

Vital Events Reference Tables 2010: Section 2: Adoptions and Re-registrations
www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

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