The number of looked-after children in the year leading up to March this year was more than 80,000, up two per cent from the year before, latest figures from the Department for Education show.
The figures, published earlier this week cover the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, during which local authorities saw a decline in referrals to children’s social care due to the closure of schools and support services during the first national lockdown.
The biggest reason for children being taken into care in the year up to 31 March was abuse and neglect, which affected 65 per cent of those who entered the care system.
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