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Written question asked by Adam Price (Plaid Cymru) on Friday, 3 July 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 7 July 2009. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Children in Care

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been placed in care in the last five years; and what proportion were returned to their parents within two months.
Answer

Information on the number of children that have been placed in care in the last five years and the proportion that returned with their parents within two months can be found in the following table.

Children started to be looked after and the proportion who ceased to be looked after within two months due to returning to parents or those with parental responsibility¹,²,³, 2004 to 2008, Coverage: England
Years ending 31 March Children that started to be looked after during the year Percentage returned to their parents (or those with parental responsibility) within two months
2004 25,000 21
2005 24,900 21
2006 24,600 20
2007 24,000 19
20084 23,000 18
¹ Only the first occasion on which a child started to be looked in the year has been counted.
² Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.
³ Reason episode ceased defined as "Returned home to live with parents, relatives, or other person with parental responsibility (not under a residence order or special guardianship order)".
4 Children who started to be looked after during the last two months of the year may subsequently return to their parents within two months but this information will not be available until the next data collection. Therefore the percentage could increase.
Source:
SSDA903

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
496 c1404W; 285000
Session
2008-09
Subjects
Children in care
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk