Key Points There has been little There were 44,320 approved fostering households as at 31 change in the number March 2016, less than a 1% fall from the previous year of fostering (44,625). There were 51,805 children and young people in households and placement on 31 March 2016, the same as last year’s figure. children in foster care. There was a large The reported number of applications fell by one third. There drop in applications to were 11,460 applications in 2015-16, compared to 16,920 be foster carers. the previous year. There are more There has been a 13% increase in the number of family and approved family and friends households from 4,145 on 31 March 2015 to 4,665 in friends households this 2016. year. A large minority of Of the 3,055 children who went missing, 46% did not have children who went a Return Home Interview (1,405). missing had no RHI. More care leavers Although the number of care leavers went up 17% to 4,025, stayed living with their the number who stayed living with their former foster carers former foster carers. increased by a higher rate (22%) to 2,190. Children were more likely to experience a Of the children who experienced at least one unplanned change in educational ending, 12% also experienced an education placement placement if they also change, compared to 4% of those who had no unplanned experienced an endings. unplanned ending. Contents
Key Points There has been little change in the number of fostering households and children in foster care. There were 44,320 approved fostering households as at 31 March 2016, less than a 1% fall from the previous year (44,625). There were 51,805 children and young people in placement on 31 March 2016, the same as last year’s figure. There was a large drop in applications to be foster carers. The reported number of applications fell by one third. There were 11,460 applications in 2015-16, compared to 16,920 the previous year. There are more approved family and friends households this year. There has been a 13% increase in the number of family and friends households from 4,145 on 31 March 2015 to 4,665 in 2016. A large minority of children who went missing had no RHI. Of the 3,055 children who went missing, 46% did not have a Return Home Interview (1,405). More care leavers stayed living with their former foster carers. Although the number of care leavers went up 17% to 4,025, the number who stayed living with their former foster carers increased by a higher rate (22%) to 2,190. Children were more likely to experience a change in educational placement if they also experienced an unplanned ending. Of the children who experienced at least one unplanned ending, 12% also experienced an education placement change, compared to 4% of those who had no unplanned endings. Contents
Fostering_in_England_2015-16.docx