Trends in Care : Exploring reasons for the increase in children looked after by local authorities

National statistics show that since 1996, the number of children looked after has increased by 15 per cent.

The number of days of care provided has increased almost as much, from 18.2 million in 1996 to 20.8 million in 2000.

Children are entering care at a younger age, are more likely to be looked after under formal care orders, and are spending longer periods of time being looked after - on average, 617 days per child.

Since the average weekly spend on a child in care is nearly five times the cost of a child supported at home or independently, these increases are likely to contribute significantly to pressures on children's services budgets.

Extensive analysis of the statistics and local authority fieldwork by Statham, Candappa, Simon and Owen explore possible reasons for the changing rate of children looked after.

They address various hypotheses (included staffing issues, increased awareness of parental drug and alcohol problems, pressure from external agencies, and an increase in unaccompanied asylum seekers) and make valuable recommendations for good social services practice relating to children looked after.