Permanent data table

'Official Statistics - CLA who were missing from placement - NATIONAL' from 'Children looked after in England including adoptions'

• Created: 5 June 2023

WARNING - The data used in this table may now be out-of-date as a new release has been published since its creation.

Measure for 'Official Statistics - CLA who were missing from placement - NATIONAL' for 1 to 4 years, 10 to 15 years, 16 years and over, 5 to 9 years, All children looked after during the year and 28 other filters in England between 2018 and 2022

		2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Children missing from placement by gender	Total children who were missing during the year	11,520	11,880	12,430	10,880	12,150
	Males	6,450	6,620	7,090	6,150	6,730
	Females	5,070	5,260	5,340	4,730	5,420
Children missing from placement	All children looked after during the year	104,240	106,630	108,680	108,100	111,360
	Percentage of children looked after during the year who were missing	11	11	11	10	11
Missing from placement incidents	Total number of missing incidents during the year	70,170	73,670	81,070	71,440	76,890
Children missing from placement	Average number of incidents per looked after child who was missing	6.1	6.2	6.5	6.6	6.3
	Children missing more than once during the year	7,440	7,680	8,010	7,010	7,770
	Children missing at 31 March	300	260	190	200	220
Durations of missing from placement periods	Total incidents	70,170	73,670	81,070	71,440	76,890
	Less than 1 day	24,370	25,430	26,650	24,650	26,570
	Between 1 and 2 days	38,070	40,160	45,530	39,930	42,950
	Between 3 and 7 days	5,730	6,170	6,930	5,330	5,830
	Between 8 and 10 days	640	620	740	550	550
	Between 11 and 15 days	500	460	470	380	350
	Between 16 and 20 days	230	200	190	160	170
	Between 21 and 30 days	180	190	180	130	140
	More than 30 days	460	430	390	310	330
Children missing from placement	Average (mean) number of days per missing incident	2.6	2.2	2.2	2	1.9
	Average (median) number of days per missing incident	1	1	1	1	1
Age of child missing from placement	Total incidents	70,170	73,670	81,070	71,440	76,890
	Under 1 year	40	30	20	20	10
	1 to 4 years	40	60	50	30	50
	5 to 9 years	190	160	180	100	170
	10 to 15 years	33,490	33,690	34,930	26,670	30,480
	16 years and over	36,410	39,730	45,900	44,620	46,170
Placements from which children were missing	Total incidents	70,170	73,670	81,070	71,440	76,890
	Foster placements	20,580	19,690	20,510	13,930	17,270
	Placed for adoption	0	0	0	0	0
	Placed with parents	840	990	1,300	1,080	1,290
	Living independently	12,320	13,030	11,440	7,850	6,510
	Secure units, children's homes and semi-independent living accommodation	34,760	38,210	45,710	46,540	49,550
	Other placements	1,670	1,750	2,120	2,040	2,280

Footnotes

1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication.
2. Figures for 2021 exclude data for Hackney who were unable to provide figures.

Source: Children looked after in England including adoptions, Official Statistics - CLA who were missing from placement - NATIONAL

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