Summary statistics on children in care and children adopted from care, and searching for birth relatives in England.
On this page:
> Children in public care
> Placements
> Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
> Private Fostering
> Adoption Orders by date of entry in Adopted Children Register
> Adoptions from Care
> Adoption Search and Reunion
> Sources
Children in public care
60,000 children were in the care of local authorities on 31st March 2007
Gender
56% (33,400) of children looked after on 31st March 2007 were boys and 44% (26,600) were girls
Age
- 5% (3,000) of children looked after on 31st March 2007 were under 1 year old
- 15% (8,800) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
- 18% (10,900) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
- 42% (25,500) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
- 20% (11,800) were aged 16 and over
Placements
- 71% (42,300) of children looked after on 31st March 2007 were living with foster carers
- 12% (7,110) were living in children’s homes (includes secure units, homes, hostels but excluding residential schools)
- 9% (5,100) were living with their parents
- 4% (2,500) were placed for adoption
Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children
3,300 unaccompanied asylum seeking children were looked after on 31st March 2007
- 75% (2,500) were boys and 25% (810) were girls
Private Fostering
1,330 children were known to be living under private fostering arrangements at 31st March 2008
1,560 new private fostering arrangements began and 1,520 ended during the year ending 31st March 2008
1,790 new notifications were received during the year ending 31st March 2008
Adoption Orders by date of entry in Adopted Children Register
- 5,680 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2002
- 4,818 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2003
- 5,562 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2004
- 5,565 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2005
- 4,980 adoption orders were made in England and Wales during 2006
NB Figures on adoption orders apply to adoptions by relatives and step–parents as well as adoptions from care
Adoptions from Care
3,300 children were adopted from care during the year ending 31st March 2007
Gender
51% (1,700) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2007 were boys and 49% (1,600) were girls
Age
The average age at adoption was 4 years 2 months
- 5% (150) of children adopted during the year ending 31st March 2007 were under 1 year old
- 64% (2,100) were aged between 1 and 4 years old
- 27% (880) were aged between 5 and 9 years old
- 5% (160) were aged between 10 and 15 years old
- 0% (10) were aged 16 and over
Waiting times
77% (2,800) children were placed for adoption within 12 months of best interest decision during the year ending 31st March 2006
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 in England (including adoption and care leavers): year ending 31 March 2007
http://www.dfes.gov.uk
Children Looked After by Local Authorities, Year Ending 31 March 2006
http://www.dfes.gov.uk
Private fostering arrangements in England: Year Ending 31 March 2008
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk
ONS update on adoption statistics, March 2005
http://www.statistics.gov.uk
Marriage, divorce and adoption statistics: Review of the Registrar General on marriages and divorces in 2005, and adoptions in 2006, in England and Wales
http://www.statistics.gov.uk
|
