how many children are currently in foster care?
There are around 4955 children currently in foster care in Wales (31st March 2023)
Source: (gov.wales)
is the number of children in foster care in wales increasing?
Over the last 6 years (2018-2023) the number of children in foster care in Wales has increased by 5.4%.
Source: (gov.wales)
how many children need a foster carer in Wales each year?
In just 12 months (April 2021- April 2022) 1857 children in Wales needed a foster carer.
are more children cared for by local authority foster carers or foster agency carers?
In Wales, in around 70% of new foster placements (April 2021-April 2022) the children were cared for by local authority foster carers.
where are children fostered?
In Wales, 79% of children cared for by private fostering agencies are fostered outside their local area, and 6% are moved out of Wales entirely. Meanwhile, 84% of those living with local authority foster carers stay within their own local area, close to home, to school, to family and friends.
what does looked-after mean?
The term “looked-after” refers to children where local authority social services departments are involved with their family and have a say in their care, but this can cover a variety of living arrangements including:
- foster care
- residential care
- independent living
- and living with family under local authority supervision.
what age are the children who need foster care in wales?
In March 2023, of the 7210 children looked-after in Wales (see above)
- 19% were age 0-4 (1380)
- 40% were age 10-15 (2875).
- There are slightly higher numbers of boys than girls
Around 70% of children looked-after in Wales are in foster care.
Source: (gov.wales)
how many children return home, leave care or are adopted?
In 2023, 675 children previously looked-after returned to family or special guardian (other than previous foster carers). 245 had an adoption order granted. 235 moved to independent living.
Source: (gov.wales)
how many foster carers are there in wales?
According to The Fostering Network, there are approximately 3,800 foster families in Wales.
71% are foster carers with their local authority. Around 2700 foster carers, and family and friends carers, are part of Foster Wales.
Source: The Fostering Network
