High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Children Looked After
At 31st March 2008 there were 14,886 children looked after by local authorities, an increase of six per cent since 2007. The number of children looked after has increased every year since 2001, and is at its highest since 1983.
Forty three per cent of children looked after were looked after at home with parents and sixteen per cent were looked after by friends or relatives. The number of children being looked after by friends or relatives increased by 15 per cent on 2007.
Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of children looked after were with foster carers provided by the local authority, with a further four per cent looked after by foster carers purchased by the local authority. The number of children looked after by foster carers or prospective adopters has increased every year since 1993.
The proportion of children looked after in residential care was 11 per cent nationally, and is now at its lowest since when data has been available. The actual numbers of children in residential care have been fairly stable since 2000, at around 1,600.
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Source: Children Looked After Statistics, Scottish Government
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