Fostering

• There are approximately 2,827 foster households in Northern Ireland, this is a 6% decrease since last year when there were 3,009 households.⁷⁷
• 4 in 5 children in care are placed in a foster care arrangement, this is approximately 80% of all children in care in Northern Ireland (n=3,040). This has increased by 1% since last year.⁷⁸
• 45% of children in foster care are cared for by kinship carers.⁷⁹

Fostering

• 69% of children in care live with a foster family (n=4,955).⁵⁹
• There are approximately, 3,800 foster families in Wales.⁶⁰
• 10% of young people who left care having turned 18 in 2021/22 continued to live with their former foster parents under ‘When I am Ready’ arrangements.⁶¹

Fostering

• Approximately 42% of children in care live with a foster family (n=4,155).⁴¹
• There are approximately 3,261 approved foster care households in Scotland. This is a 5% decrease from 2021 and a 13% decrease since 2018.⁴²
• 43% of children in care live with kinship carers (n=4249).⁴³

Fostering

• 68% of children in care live with a foster family (n=57,020) this has decreased 2% since 2022.¹⁷
• There are 43,405 fostering households in England. This is a 1% decrease since 2022 and a 2% decrease since 2019.¹⁸
• At the end of March 2023 there were 3,805 new approved fostering households.¹⁹
• There are now 59,308 approved foster cares in England. This is a 3% decrease since 2022 and an 8% decrease since 2019.²⁰