In 2025, the number of children looked after (CLA) by local authorities in England was 81,770, down 2% (down 1,760 children) on last year, and down from a recent peak of 83,750 in 2023. This is a rate of 67 CLA per 10,000 children, down from 69 last year.
Number of children looked after on 31 March 2021 to 2025, England
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of children looked after | 80,780 | 82,090 | 83,750 | 83,530 | 81,770 |
| Annual change | - | +1,310 | +1,660 | -220 | -1,760 |
| Annual percentage change | - | +2% | +2% | < -0.5% | -2% |
| Rate per 10,000 children (<18 years) | 69 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 67 |
Source: SSDA903
Numbers and rates per 10,000 children vary widely across local authorities, for example Blackpool has the highest rate at 184 CLA per 10,000 children and Richmond upon Thames has the lowest at 27 CLA per 10,000 children.
Characteristics
Note: Many of the changes in characteristics seen in recent years have been as a result of the change in the number of UASC who are a distinct cohort with specific characteristics.
Sex, ethnicity and age on 31 March
Males are slightly over-represented in the CLA population (56%) compared to the overall child population (51%) - as shown in the latest ONS mid-year population estimates (opens in new tab). Some of this is due to UASC, however males are still slightly over-represented for non-UASC CLA (53%).
Children from Mixed ethnic groups were over-represented and children from Asian ethnic groups were under- represented (opens in new tab) in the numbers of CLA compared to the overall child population. Children of White ethnicity account for 71% of CLA, 11% were Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups, 8% Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, 5% were Asian or Asian British, 4% other ethnicities, and ethnicity was not known or not yet recorded for 1%.
CLA are primarily from an older demographic. Over the last five years, whilst the overall number of CLA has increased (up by 1%) the numbers of CLA who were aged under 5 have decreased - under 1s have decreased by 8% and CLA aged 1 to 4 years have decreased by 14% - whilst the number aged 16 years or over have increased by 17%.
Reasons for being looked after
When a child is assessed by children's services their primary need is recorded. For CLA this corresponds to most relevant need at the time the current period of being looked-after began. This list is hierarchical and where more than one need is identified then the need ‘highest’ up the list is reported.
The proportion of CLA reported within each primary need has been broadly stable over the last five years.
Reasons recorded for being looked after include the following:
- as a result of or because they were at risk of abuse or neglect
- primarily due to living in a family where the parenting capacity is chronically inadequate (family dysfunction)
- due to there being no parents available to provide for the child (absent parenting)
- due to living in a family that is going through a temporary crisis that diminishes the parental capacity to adequately meet some of the children’s needs (family being in acute stress)
- due to the child’s or parent’s disability or illness
- due to low income or socially unacceptable behaviour
Legal status
Information is collected on the legal status underlying being ‘looked-after’, which helps to describe why the child is being looked after. These include:
- a care order - a court order placing a child in the care or supervision of a local authority
- a voluntary agreement - this allows the local authority to provide accommodation for a child where there's parental consent, or when no-one with parental responsibility is in place
- a placement order - a court order allowing a local authority to place a child for adoption
- detained for child protection reasons
- detained under youth justice legal statuses
In 2025, most CLA were looked after under a care order (75%), 19% of CLA were looked after under voluntary agreement and 6% under a placement order.
These figures on CLA on 31 March, by characteristics can be found in table A1 of the release.
Placements
The majority of CLA were placed in foster placements, where an approved carer looks after the child. The number of CLA in foster placements have continued to decrease, down 2% to 54,820 (down 1,140 children) however the proportion of CLA in foster placements has remained the same as last year at 67%. Almost a quarter (24%) of foster placements are with a relative or friend who are an approved foster carer. The number of CLA in these placements also decreased by 2% to 13,360 (down 220 children).
The number of CLA placed for adoption decreased by 22% to 1,660 children (down 460 children) - the proportion of all CLA who were placed for adoption is 2%. Placed for adoption means the child has gone to live with prospective adopters. A child may be placed for adoption with the formal consent of the child’s parents/guardian or with a placement order from a court and may be placed for adoption with their current foster carer or with a stranger or relative who is an approved adopter.
CLA placed in children's homes including secure children's homes increased by 9% (770 children) to 9,480, which is 12% of CLA.
Supported accommodation providers accommodated 7,520 children (9% of CLA), there were a further 2,050 children placed in ‘Other placements’ which was 3% of all CLA. Note: Users should be cautious when interpreting and drawing conclusions from changes in CLA placed at these two placement types in 2024 and 2025 as there were some data issues reporting the transition to supported accommodation. For further information please see the methodology document that accompanies this release.
These figures on CLA on 31 March, by placement type can be found in table A2 of the release.
Locality of placements
Local authorities have a general duty to provide accommodation that is within the local authorities' area, that meets the needs of the child and allows the child to live near their home.
The proportion of placements inside the council boundary was 56%, up slightly from 55% last year, the remaining 44% were placed outside the boundary.
| Location | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All placements | 80,780 | 82,090 | 83,750 | 83,530 | 81,770 |
| Inside the LA boundary | 46,710 | 46,710 | 47,080 | 46,010 | 45,420 |
| Percentage | 58% | 57% | 56% | 55% | 56% |
| Outside the LA boundary | 34,070 | 35,370 | 36,670 | 37,520 | 36,350 |
| Percentage | 42% | 43% | 44% | 45% | 44% |
The majority of CLA were still placed within 20 miles of home:
- placed within 20 miles of home - 69% - the same as last year
- placed over 20 miles from home - 22% - the same as last year
- information for the remaining 9% was not known or not recorded - in most cases this will be because the child was UASC, but it could also be because the home address was not known or for reasons of confidentiality.
As might be expected, location of placement varies by type of placement. Placements with the highest proportion of children:
- placed over 20 miles from home are those where the child is placed for adoption (52%)
- placed 20 miles or less from home are those where the child is placed with parents/other person with parental responsibility (91%) or in a foster placement (76%)
Placement stability
1 in 10 children experienced high placement instability (3 or more placements during the year) - 10% - broadly stable from 11% in 2024 and 9% in 2021. A lower proportion of CLA experience high placement instability when focusing on those who have been in care for 12 months or more (9%) compared to those who have been in care for less than 12 months (14%).
Further information on placement stability can be found in the ‘P’ feature tables accompanying this release.