Overview

• There are 7,208 children in care in Wales, a increase of 2% (n=155) since 2022.⁵²
• 1,903 children entered the care system in 2022/23, an increase of 12% (n=7211) from the previous year.⁵³
• 1,758 children left the care system during 2022/23, a decrease of 6% (n=107) from the previous year.⁵⁴
• 22% of children in care are aged 5-9 years, 40% are aged 10-15 years, and 19% are aged 16 and over.⁵⁵
• There has been a gradual decline in the percentage of children looked after in foster care placements, from a high of 79% on 31 March 2011 to 69% on 31 March 2023.⁵⁶
• 9% of children in care had three or more placements during 2022/23.⁵⁷
• 34% of children who are in placements outside of their home were placed outside of their local authority, this is a 7% increase from the previous year. 7% were placed outside of Wales which is a 1% increase from 2021/22.⁵⁸

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

Adoption

• 243 children were adopted from care in 2022/23, a decrease of 14% (n=283) from the previous year.⁶²
• The number of children adopted from care had been decreasing in recent years from a high of 385 children adopted during 2014-15.⁶³
• The average age of a child at adoption is 3 years and 5 months.⁶⁴
• In 2022, the average length of time for children from entry into care to adoption was 2 years and 6 months.⁶⁵

Care leavers and care experienced young people

• In 2019, 54% of care leavers were 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