Children in Care
Children, Schools and Families
Written answers and statements, 21 July 2009
Adam Price (Spokesperson (Communities and Local Government; Culture, Media and Sport; Defence; Transport); Carmarthen East & Dinefwr, Plaid Cymru)
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been placed in care in the last five years; and what proportion were returned to their parents within two months.
Vernon Coaker (Minister of State (Schools and Learners), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Gedling, Labour)
Information on the number of children that have been placed in care in the last five years and the proportion that returned with their parents within two months can be found in the following table.
| Children started to be looked after and the proportion who ceased to be looked after within two months due to returning to parents or those with parental responsibility( 1,2,3) , 2004 to 2008, Coverage: England | ||
| Years ending 31 March | Children that started to be looked after during the year | Percentage returned to their parents (or those with parental responsibility) within two months |
| 2004 | 25,000 | 21 |
| 2005 | 24,900 | 21 |
| 2006 | 24,600 | 20 |
| 2007 | 24,000 | 19 |
| 2008(4) | 23,000 | 18 |
| (1) Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked in the year has been counted. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements. (3) Reason episode ceased defined as "Returned home to live with parents, relatives, or other person with parental responsibility (not under a residence order or special guardianship order)". (4) Children who started to be looked after during the last two months of the year may subsequently return to their parents within two months but this information will not be available until the next data collection. Therefore the percentage could increase. Source: SSDA903 | ||