The Department for Education (DfE) has released data on the stability of placements, school provision, and professional support for children in care in England. The statistics are based on children in care on 31 March 2024. Key findings include: 10% of children had experienced three or more placements in the past year, a slight decrease from 11% in 2023; 8% of children experienced at least one mid-year school move; over a quarter of children had three or more social workers in the past year, with under-1-year-olds experiencing the highest social worker instability; and 1% of children experienced high instability in all three measures.
Explore the data: Stability measures for children looked after in England
Source: DfE
Date published: 12 June 2025
