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 rate (per 1,000 0-17 year olds) of children in the ‘care system’ as at 31 July in Scotland.
| Year | Number | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11, 818 | 11.8 |
| 2024 | 11, 788 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | 12, 084 | 11.9 |
| 2022 | 12, 447 | 12.4 |
| 2021 | 13, 200 | 13.1 |
| 2020 | 14, 458 | 14.3 |
| 2019 | 14, 262 | 14.0 |
Notes
Reporting period: 31 July 2025
Last updated: April 2026
Next Update due: April 2027
Expanded Content
The rate of children in the ‘care system’ was 11.8 per 1,000 children in 2025, up slightly from 11.6 per 1,000 children in 2024. This marked a reduction against the baseline, which was 14.0 in 2019.
The number of children in the ‘care system’ rose very slightly (by less than 0.1%) between 2024 and 2025, but has reduced by 17% overall since 2019.