According to the latest government statistics, almost 12,000 – or 43 per cent – of all children who entered care in England last year were aged between 10 and 17. Of those children, 80 per cent were taken into care for the first time.
Barnardo’s argued that finding adoptive families for these children is becoming increasingly difficult.
This is partly because of the emphasis on placing babies for adoption, but also because of a general shortage of foster families across the UK. The charity estimates that at least 8,750 new foster families will need to be recruited within the next 12 months.
Barnardo’s chief executive Anne Marie Carrie said the needs of older children are being forgotten.
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