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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Care Leavers and care-experienced young people
Care leavers and care experienced young people
- In 2022/23, there were 365 young people aged 16-18 that left care in Northern Ireland, an increase of 14% from 2021/22 (n=320).82
- The majority of care leavers in Northern Ireland (88%) stay in care until they reach the age of 18.83
- Of care leavers aged 16-18 in 2022/23 34% did not have any qualifications at the time of leaving care, a decrease in 1% since the previous year.84
- Of care leavers aged 19 years, 68%* are in education, training, or employment, a 7% decrease from the previous year (*for whom information was available).85
Care leavers and care experienced young people
- 29% of school leavers who were in care during 2022/23 were not in further or higher education, employment, or training 9 months after leaving school, compared to 7% of all school leavers.48
- 25% of prisoners self-identified as care experienced, with 16% of care experienced prisoners having had more than six different placements whilst in care.49
- It is estimated that 17% of young people leaving care who are eligible for aftercare go on to make a homeless application.50
- In 2023/24, 5% of all homeless households with a member under 25 included someone who had been in the care of their local authority as a child.51
Care leavers and care experienced young people
- In 2019, 46% of care leavers were not in education, training, or employment 12 months after leaving care.66
- Around 20% of homeless people in Wales are care leavers.67
- 25% of adult prisoners are care experienced.68
Care leavers and care-experienced young people
- In 2023, 13,112 young people in England aged out of the care system on their 18th Birthday. This has increased by 4% since 2020.26
- The number of care leavers aged 18-20 experiencing homelessness has increased by 54% over the past five years.27
- Care leavers make up 25% of the adult homeless population.28
- Almost 25% of the adult prison population have previously been in care,29 and nearly 50% of under 21-year-olds in contact with the criminal justice system have spent time in care.30
- Looked-after children are more at risk of interacting with the criminal justice system in early adulthood than their peers. Among looked-after children 52% were convicted of a criminal offence by the academic year they turned the age of 24, compared to 13% of children who had not experienced care.31
- 7% of care leavers aged 17 years; 3% of care leavers aged 18 years and 6% of care leavers aged 19-21 are in accommodation considered to be unsuitable.32
- 39% of care leavers aged 19-21 years are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), compared to 13% of all 19- to 21-year-olds. The number of care leavers aged 19-21 who are not in education, employment, or training has increased by 1% since 2023.33
- Just 9% of care leavers enter HE by their 19th birthday, compared to 47% of the wider population.34
- Care-experienced applicants are 179% more likely to apply for health and social care degrees than non-care-experienced students, and 50% more likely to apply for nursing and midwifery.35
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