125 per 10,000 children are looked after (54 in England)
29% of children in care are under 10 (41 per cent in England)
23% of looked-after children are in care due to absent parenting (7 per cent in England)
25% of looked-after children are in care homes (13 per cent in England)
Lambeth is a deprived borough in south London. In 2002, the council had 710 children in care - down from 735 two years previously.
The social services department has to deal with a greater proportion of vulnerable children and families in difficulty than most other local authorities.
The council is trying hard to recruit more foster carers to take the pressure off its children's homes.
Source: Department of Health.
