FOI release

2023 - 2025 Looked after Children statistic

Case reference FOI2026/01691

Received 17 July 2026

Published 14 August 2026

Request

FOI Request Form

Instructions for completion of the form:

- Please provide recorded local authority data for the period 2023–2025 where available.

- Enter “0” where the answer is nil.

- If data cannot be provided, please explain using the question at the end of each section (e.g. data not recorded or unable to retrieve).

- If you can not answer all questions please answer what you can or prioritise Q4

• Looked After Children with Immigration Status

In the period 2023 – 2025 inclusive, for each calendar year, please share the number of Looked After Children who had immigration status recorded as an issue of concern, including (but not limited to): no current immigration status, unresolved or insecure immigration status, or ongoing immigration or nationality applications.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not requesting data on all children in your care with any form of leave to remain or citizenship.

Please exclude children who are British citizens or who hold indefinite leave to remain, unless their cases involved previous periods of irregular or unresolved status during the reporting period.

If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 – 2025 inclusive).

Number of Looked After children with immigration status

2023 2024 2025

Number of Looked After children with NO immigration status

2023 2024 2025

• Number of Looked After Children with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad in the period 2023 – 2025

Did you explore family and/or connected persons overseas as potential carers for a child in your care?

Yes No

• Number of children placed with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad

In the period 2023 – 2025, for each calendar year, how many children were actually with Family and/or Connected Persons outside England or outside the UK? If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 – 2025 inclusive). If your response is ‘nil’, please use ‘0’.

Placed outside of England but within UK

2023 2024 2025

Placed outside of the UK

2023 2024 2025

• Court orders used for placement overseas

For each calendar year, between 2023 – 2025, what number and types of court orders were used to place children with Family and/or Connected Persons outside of the UK?

If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 – 2025 inclusive). If your response is ‘nil’, please use ‘0’.

No order but child placed outside UK

2023 2024 2025

ICO

2023 2024 2025

CAO

2023 2024 2025

Special Guardianship Order

2023 2024 2025

Adoption Order

2023 2024 2025

Other Order

2023 2024 2025

• Post-placement support for overseas placements

Has your local authority made any financial support payments to kinship carers living overseas in the past three calendar years (2023, 2024, 2025)? This is regardless of order type and could include: section 17 payments, kinship allowance, SG support, discretionary welfare payments etc. Please list countries of residence of the formerly LAC.

Yes No

If yes, to which countries were payments made?

Response

FOI Request Form
Instructions for completion of the form:

- Please provide recorded local authority data for the period 2023–2025 where available.
- Enter “0” where the answer is nil.
- If data cannot be provided, please explain using the question at the end of each section (e.g. data not recorded or unable to retrieve).
- If you can not answer all questions please answer what you can or prioritise Q4

• Looked After Children with Immigration Status

In the period 2023 – 2025 inclusive, for each calendar year, please share the number of Looked After Children who had immigration status recorded as an issue of concern, including (but not limited to): no current immigration status, unresolved or insecure immigration status, or ongoing immigration or nationality applications.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not requesting data on all children in your care with any form of leave to remain or citizenship.

Please exclude children who are British citizens or who hold indefinite leave to remain, unless their cases involved previous periods of irregular or unresolved status during the reporting period.

If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 – 2025 inclusive).

Number of Looked After children with immigration status
2023 2024 2025

Answer: Please see the table below:

Calendar Year	Number of Children
2023	9
2024	11
2025	7

Number of Looked After children with NO immigration status
2023 2024 2025

Answer: Please see the table below:

Calendar Year	Number of Children
2023	513
2024	466
2025	446

• Number of Looked After Children with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad in the period 2023 – 2025