Vision statement one: Where children are safe in their families and feel loved, they must stay— and families must be given support together to nurture that love and overcome the difficulties which get in the way.
The rate of children entering care decreases. For those that do need to enter care, a higher proportion are able to stay living at home with parents, or in a family setting.
Number and percentage of children in the ‘care system’ who are living at home with parents as at 31 July each year.
| Year | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2, 411 | 20.0% |
| 2024 | 2, 298 | 20.0% |
| 2023 | 2, 435 | 20.0% |
| 2022 | 2, 548 | 21.0% |
| 2021 | 2, 853 | 22.0% |
| 2020 | 3, 563 | 25.0% |
| 2019 | 3, 569 | 25.0% |
Notes
Reporting period: 31 July 2025
Last updated: April 2026
Next Update due: April 2027
Expanded Content
The number of children in the “care system” living at home with their parents rose very slightly in the most recent year (by less than 0.1%) but has fallen by 32% between 31 July 2019 and 31 July 2025.
Between 31 July 2020 and 31 July 2021, the number fell by 20% in a single year.
The proportion of children experiencing care whilst living at home with parents fell from 25% on 31 July 2020 to 20% on 31 July 2023 and has remained at that rate since then.