Statistics
National statistics for fostering and adoption
Why we track national statistics
At Home for Good we are committed to finding a home for every child who needs one through adoption, fostering or supported lodgings. Alongside working ‘bottom-up’ to find homes and mobilising support to wrap around carers, we also work ‘top-down’ to help find solutions to the complex challenges the sector faces. Digging deeper into these figures helps us to be more effective. Whether in unpacking the geographical nuances in the data, highlighting racial disparity in the system, or identifying barriers that hinder progress, the numbers matter.
It is of paramount importance we remember that these figures tell stories – thousands of stories – of children waiting too long for the stability, care and love they need. They are not data points or lines on a spreadsheet, but precious children who need loving homes where they can thrive. Everyone has a part they can play. We work with policymakers and politicians, local authorities and agencies, volunteers, churches, individuals and families and we won’t stop. Together we can find a home for every child who needs one.
UK-wide statistics
This year in the UK around 39,053 children and young people will enter the care system.1 That is 107 children every day.
There are around 104,577 children in the UK who are looked after away from home.2
Wales has the highest rate of looked after children away from home in the UK at 116 per 10,000 of the under 18 population. Scotland has a slightly lower rate at 97 per 10,000 while the rates in Northern Ireland and England are much lower at 92 per 10,000 and 70 per 10,000 respectively.3A need for homes
69,877 children live with over 52,300 fostering households across the UK. (4) In 2023, there were 2210 children waiting for adoption in England and 237 children waiting for adoption in Wales. (5)
Read Katie’s fostering story here. Read Victoria’s adoption story here.
Racial disparity
Black children are disproportionately represented in our care system. While Black children make up 5% of the general population, they make up 7% of the looked after children population. (6) Black children are then less likely to go on to be adopted and wait longer to find their adoptive family. (7) When other factors are held constant, Black children spend on average 5-8 months longer in the adoption process before moving in with their adoptive family. (8)
Caring for teenagers
Children in care are predominantly older with 38% aged 10-15 years and 26% aged 16 years and over. (9)
Read our 'Voices of Supported Lodgings' report Read Dave’s caring for teenagers story here.
(Reference information is available here.)
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Adoption
Adoption
- 97 children were adopted from care during 2023/24, an decrease of 10% from last year, and an increase of 41% from 2020/2021. The significant increase in the number of adoptions is likely to be linked to the impact of COVID-19 on services during 2020/21.78
- In 2023/24, 56% (n=54) of the children were adopted as a single child adoption, whereas 44% (n=42) were adopted as part of a sibling group. There has been a 28% decrease in children adopted as a single child adoption and a 21% increase of the number of children adopted as part of a sibling group since last year.79
- The average age of a child at adoption is 4 years and 2 months, two months younger than the previous year.80
Children wait on average 3 years and 4 months to be adopted, an decrease of 3 months since last year.81
Adoption
- 243 children were adopted from care in 2022/23, a decrease of 14% (n=283) from the previous year.62
- The number of children adopted from care had been decreasing in recent years from a high of 385 children adopted during 2014-15.63
- The average age of a child at adoption is 3 years and 5 months.64
- In 2022, the average length of time for children from entry into care to adoption was 2 years and 6 months.65
Adoption
- Of children who left care in 2022/23 7% went on to be adopted (n = 214), a slight increase since the previous year (5%) and 2013 (6%). 44
- In 2022/23, 174 children were placed with adoptive families, this is a 4% decrease since the previous year and a 42% decrease since 2013. 45
- 50% of children who were approved for adoption were under the age of two. 46
- In 2022/23, 32% of children that were waiting to be adopted were part of a family group that services were trying to keep together.47
Adoption
- In 2024, 2,980 children were adopted, similar to the previous year.21
- The average age of a child at adoption is 3 years and 4 months, which is down slightly by one month compared to last year but is up from 3 years in 2020. 22
- In 2024, the average time between a child entering care and being placed for adoption was 1 year and 7 months, the same as last year. It then takes a further 9 months (on average) for an adoption order to be granted and the adoption to be completed.23
- As of October 2024, there were 2600 children waiting for adoption this is an decrease of 25% since 2022. 47% of these children have been waiting for 18 months or more, a 1% decrease from last year.24
- In 2024, Children aged over 5, male, from an Ethnic Minority (excludes White minorities) background, with a disability and in a sibling group were more likely to be waiting with a PO and less likely to be adopted.25
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