1: The Scale is Large and Growing
Over 102,000 children are currently in care across the UK, with 38,000 children entering the care system every year. That's over 100 children a day. Numbers have been rising in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has seen a gradual decline.
2: Most Children in Care Live with Foster Families
Sixty-seven percent of children in care live with a foster family. However, the number of fostering households has been falling, down 7 percent in England since 2021, even as the number of children needing placements keeps rising. This is creating a growing shortage of foster carers.
3: Stability is a Real Challenge
Sixty-nine percent of children have just one placement in a year, but a significant minority move multiple times. Twenty-two percent of children in care are placed more than 20 miles from home, disrupting schooling, friendships, and family contact. This is more common for children in residential settings.
4: Leaving Care is a Difficult Transition
Care leavers face significantly poorer outcomes than their peers in housing, education, and employment. For example, homelessness among care leavers aged 21 to 24 in England rose 14 percent in early 2025, and in Northern Ireland, 41 percent of care leavers aged 16 to 19 had no qualifications when they left care.
5: The System Varies Across the Four Nations
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each run their own care systems with different rules, terminology, and trends. Definitions of "in care" differ between nations too, so UK-wide comparisons should be treated with some caution.
Sources: Department for Education (England), Home for Good, Become Charity, NSPCC Learning, Blue Cabin — figures current as of 2025.
