According to latest figures from the Department for Education, 125,195 initial applications were received by local authorities and independent foster agencies in 2022/23.
This is the lowest number of applications to become mainstream foster carers – which excludes family and friends foster carers - since current recording began in 2017/18, the statistics show.
A peak in initial enquiries was seen in 2020/21 when 160,635 were received.
In 2022/23, local authorities received around a quarter of the number of initial enquiries received by independent foster agencies which had 99, 375 enquiries.
Of applications received by independent foster agencies and local authorities in 2022/23, 3,680 were accepted.
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