Fostering Statistics

The statistics below provide a picture of the care system on just one day of the year.

Around 36,000 more children come into care over the course of 12 months, with similar numbers leaving the care system to return home, move in with another family member, live with new adoptive families, become subject to a special guardianship or residence order or move on to adult life.

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Nearly 70,000

children live with almost 52,000 foster families across the UK each day. This is nearly three-quarters of the over 98,000 children in care away from home on any one day in the UK.

Could you foster?

Although the statistics in each country vary, what is common across the UK is that thousands of new foster families are needed.

Becoming a foster carer

England

57,020

children were living with foster families on 31 March 2023

This is 68% per cent of the 83,840 children in care looked after away from home.
There are around 43,405 foster families in England.
Every year thousands of new foster families are needed in England.

In the last 5 years:

The number of children in care has increased by 7%
The number of children in foster care has risen by 1%
The number of fostering families has decreased by 2%

For more details see statistics from the Department for Education and Ofsted.

Northern Ireland

3,140

children were living with foster families on 31 March 2023

This is 82 per cent of the 3,801 children in care looked after away from home.
There are approximately 3,009 foster families in Northern Ireland, and there is always a need for more foster families.

In the last 5 years:

number of children in care has risen by 15%
The number of children in foster care has risen by 21%

For more details see the Department of Health website.

Scotland

4,155

children were living with foster families on 31 July 2022

This is nearly three-quarters of children in care looked after away from home and family.
There are approximately 3,261 approved fostering families in Scotland.
Every year hundreds of new foster families are needed in Scotland.

In the last 5 years: