CYP Now - Babies born into care in England doubles in a decade, study shows

Around one in 200 children in England are born into care, a figure that has almost doubled in a decade, latest research has found.

In some areas of England one in every 98 children were taken into care at birth in 2018, research has found. Picture: Morguefile

The study by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Huddersfield University, published in the Children and Youth Services Review, revealed the number of babies taken into care in the first week of life was nearly 50 per cent higher than previously believed.

Researchers at the universities compiled their findings after issuing Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Department for Education, which provided access to national data collected from local authorities in England.

These figures showed that between 2008 and 2018, the proportion of children in England born into care rose from 26 to 48 per 10,000 live births, the equivalent increase of around one baby in 400 to one in 200.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included