Around 84,000 children in England live in care, and 92,000 young care leavers aged 18 – 25. 

Become is the national charity for children in care and young care leavers in England.  

Across the whole of the UK, there are an estimated 107,000 children in care. Most recent data shows 12,206 children in care in Scotland, 7,208 in Wales and 3,999 in Northern Ireland. 

Become is part of the ‘Five Nations, One Voice’ alliance of organisations that represent children in care and young care leavers across the UK and the Republic of Ireland: 

• Who Cares? Scotland, in Scotland 

• Voices from Care Cymru, in Wales 

• VOYPIC, in Northern Ireland 

• EPIC, in the Republic of Ireland 

Most children in care are aged between 10 and 17, but there are still significant numbers of younger children  

• 27% are aged 16 and over 

• 38% are aged 10-15 

• 18% are aged 5-9 

• 13% are aged 1-4, and 

• 4% are under 1 year old 

57% of children are male – slightly higher than the general UK population.  

Children from Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups are also over-represented  

There were 7,380, Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) as of March 2024, many of whom have experienced significant trauma. In January 2023, the government acknowledged over 440 UASC children have gone missing from where they were living since July 2021 

Where do children in care live? 

The majority of children  (67%) live with foster carers. The other 33% of children live in:  

• children’s homes, with 24-hour support 

• secure units, by the Youth Custody Service or when the local authority decides that no other type of home can keep them safe 

• in semi-independent living accommodation, where staff are employed to provide support and advice, but not to provide care 

• in other settings, such as with someone who has parental responsibility, living independently or elsewhere. 

The number of unregistered children’s homes has risen by over 500% in the past three years. This is illegal, but a lack of safe and suitable homes for children to live in means it’s still happening. 

Around 9 in 10 children’s homes are run privately, for profit. In 2022, the biggest private providers had profit margins of 19% – taking £310m in profit. That’s unusually high 

Over 6,000 children live in semi-independent accommodation – which don’t provide care. That figure has nearly doubled since 2010 

1 in 5 children is moved from their home area, with some children moved more than 500 miles. Far away from the places they love, and the people they know. In the last decade, there has been a 52% rise in children being placed more than 20 miles from home. 

Nearly 4 in 10 young people leave care on their 18th birthday.  

Too many young people are expected to leave care before they feel ready, falling at a time in their life when they need stability the most. They don’t have the support networks other young people can take for granted. In a survey of care leavers, Ofsted found that more than a third felt they left care too soon. 

Outcomes for care-experienced young people remain shockingly poor. 

4 in 10 care leavers aged 19 – 21 weren’t employed, in education, or training in 2023/24. That’s three times the rate for people who haven’t experienced care. 

By age 19, only 15% of care leavers have gone on to higher education. For people who aren’t care-experienced, that figure is 47% 

1 in 3 care-experienced young people become homeless within 2 years of leaving care.