Adoptions, Outcomes and Placements for Children Looked After by Local Authorities, Year Ending 31 March 2011

Statistics on Children Looked After by Local Authorities include data for Wales for the period up to the end of March 2011. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 16th September 2010.

The key points from the latest release are:

• 5,419 children were looked after on 31 March 2011, an increase of 5 per cent over the previous year and a rate of 87 per 10,000 population aged under 18. The number of looked after children has increased by 20 per cent over the last five years.
• 9 per cent of children looked after at 31st March 2011 had three or more placements during the year.
• Educational attainments improved over the previous year, with the exception of Key Stage 3 assessments.
• Local authorities were in touch with 93 per cent of 19 year old care leavers; 48 per cent of 19 year old care leavers were known to be in education, training or employment.