Figures from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) show there were 975 applications made in December last year.
This is the first month since September 2015, when 985 care applications were made, that the figures have fallen below 1,000.
It is also the first December where the number of applications has been below 1,000 since 2014 and is 4.6 per cent (47 applications) down on figures for December last year.
The latest figures continue a recent trend of falling applications following a period of rapid growth.
During 2017/18, the number of applications Cafcass received was 2.7 per cent less than the year before. In 2016/17, the increase was 14 per cent and in 2015/16 there was a 15 per cent rise.
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