Improving outcomes and support for children in care

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN760

The number of children in care has risen sharply over the past decade. The government has initiated a £2 billion investment plan into improving their lives. As of 31 March 2025, 81,770 children were ‘looked after’ by local authorities in England, meaning they were provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours or subject to care or placement orders.

This POSTnote focuses on improving outcomes for children under local authority care and those with experience of care, including kinship care. Outcomes for these children vary, but research highlights persistent challenges in health, education and involvement with the criminal justice system.

The number of looked after children has risen by nearly 20% over the past decade. Abuse or neglect was the most common reason for entering care (67%). Most looked after children were over 10 years old. Nearly 60% had a special educational need. Around 44% of placements were outside the local authority boundary and 22% were more than 20 miles from home.

Foster care accounted for 67% of placements, with a 9% net increase in kinship fostering between 2021 and 2025. Shortages of foster placements are increasing demand for children’s homes and supported accommodation. These are increasingly private rather than council owned, raising concerns about costs and availability.

Care-experienced children are more likely to experience mental health difficulties, with around half meeting criteria for a diagnosable disorder. There are established evidence-based treatments for these needs, but access is limited by long waiting times, strict eligibility thresholds for care, and biases towards care-experienced children among professionals.

Educational outcomes are also lower. 18% of children in care for more than 12 months achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths at Key Stage 4, compared to 65% of peers. Stability in placements and schooling is linked to better progress. Virtual School Heads and tutoring may help improve outcomes, though evidence quality varies.

One in three care-experienced children receive a caution or conviction between ages 10 and 17. Government guidance such as the national protocol on reducing unnecessary criminalisation has been shown to reduce rates but is not statutory. Programmes such as Lifelong Links, which embed trusted adults in care plans, and the Mockingbird Programme for foster carers, have shown positive effects on stability and wellbeing. However, evaluations often lack long-term data and UK-specific evidence.