A total of 69,540 children were in care at the end of March 2015, compared with 68,000 in 2014, and the number of looked-after children is now higher than at any point since the mid-1980s. This can, in part, be explained by quicker assessments and better awareness among care professionals, with agencies working more quickly to ensure that children are removed from damaging households.
However, the ongoing burden on local authorities of increased numbers is inevitable and challenging in the context of widespread budget cuts. There is a clear need for more work to address the reasons behind children being removed from their families in the long term.
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