Children who started to be looked after^1,2,3 and children who were taken into care during the year⁴ ending 31 March

Years ending 31 March 2012 to 2016

Coverage: England

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Children who started to be looked after:

28,390

28,970

30,730

31,340

32,050

Of which were children who were taken into care⁴

10,140

11,150

10,950

10,840

11,780

Source: SSDA903

1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

2. Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked after in the year has been counted

3. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements, but include children who were previously looked after under and agreed series of short term placements but have changed to become looked after under a different legal status (e.g. care order) in the year.

4. A children starts to be looked after when they are provided with local authority accommodation. Of these, a child is deemed to have been ‘taken into care’ if they start to be looked after under an interim or full care order, or if they are detained for child protection under a police protection order, emergency protection order or child assessment order.