Digital Education Resource Archive

Print this page
The Fostering in England 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 release also
includes:
data tables
methodology
pre-release access list
Summary
This release covers:
the numbers of foster carers and foster places and placements, in both local
authority and independent fostering agencies (IFAs)
data relating to types of foster care, registrations, deregistrations and a range of
Accredited official statistics
Main findings: fostering in England 1
April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Published 26 November 2025
Applies to England
  
Menu
Home Health and social care Social care Fostering in England 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Contents
Summary
Main findings
Introduction
Fostering sector overview
Mainstream fostering
Formal kinship care (family
and friends fostering)
Revisions to previous release
Notes
Contacts
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Annex: data tables for figures
other subjects
the period between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Main findings
During the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:
the number of mainstream fostering households has continued to
decline over the past 4 years, but at a slower rate compared to last year
there has been an increase in the number of newly approved
mainstream households entering the sector this year, following a longer-
term downward trend which plateaued between 2023 and 2024
the proportion of formal kinship care arrangement (family and friends)
households has remained consistent with last year. However, there has
been a slight decline in the proportion of newly approved formal kinship
care arrangement households still active at 31 March
there continues to be an increase in the proportion of IFA mainstream
households with the number of IFA households and places seeing a
slight increase from the previous year
the number of short break places has increased by 41% since 2021
Introduction
This statistical release covers local authority fostering agencies and IFAs in
England in the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. It includes data about
fostering households, foster carers, retention, recruitment and capacity of
providers.
This year, Ofsted’s annual fostering data collection received responses from 465
fostering agencies (147 local authorities and 318 IFAs). All percentages within
this report are calculated based on the data submitted.
Among the agencies that submitted data were several organisations that run
children’s services, including fostering, for particular local authorities
independently of the council. There were also several joint returns, such as
Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster, which
submit a combined dataset as ‘London Tri-borough’. For more details, please see
the accompanying dataset.
We divide fostering households into 2 main groups for this analysis. The main part
of this report covers ‘mainstream fostering’, which refers to all foster homes
(including permanent, non-permanent and fostering to adopt arrangements)
except those with a primary placement offer of formal kinship care arrangements
(also known as family and friends foster care). ‘Formal kinship care arrangements’
or ‘family and friends fostering’, which is covered in the last section, refers to
arrangements organised through a local authority to allow children to be cared for
by someone they already know.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently progressing through
Parliament, promotes kinship care primarily through proposed amendments to the
Children Act 1989. These include a new duty for local authorities to consider
family group decision-making. However, at present, we do not collect data on all
types of kinship care as part of the data collection; therefore, kinship carers
fostering a child under arrangements other than formal kinship care arrangements
are not reflected in this publication.
Fostering sector overview
As at 31 March, the total number of fostering households has continued to
decrease. There has been a 7% decrease since 2021 and a 1% decrease
compared to last year. Local authority mainstream households have seen a
decrease of 2% from the previous year that has been offset slightly by a
small increase in IFA households.
Out of just over 12 million children and young people under the age of 18 living in
England, just under 400,000 (3%) are in the social care system at any one time. At
the start of this reporting period, about 83,600 of these children were looked after,
of whom around 56,400 were in foster care. The number of those children in
foster care has remained consistent since 2020 but the number in children’s
homes has increased.[footnote 1]
At the end of March 2025, there were 42,190 fostering households in England.
The number of households has decreased steadily since 2021, and the make-up
has changed. Formal kinship care fostering is the preferred route in many cases,
and it is increasingly common for this type of foster care to be used to meet the
needs of individual children. The largest subset of fostering households is
mainstream local authority households (18,415). These currently account for 44%
of total fostering households (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Number of fostering households by type and sector as at 31
March, over the last 5 years
View the data for Figure 1 in an accessible table format.
Mainstream fostering
Sector stability
For the first time since 2021 there has been a net increase in the number
of IFA households. Although the number of local authority mainstream
households is still decreasing, the rate of decline is slower than in the
previous 3 years.
The IFA sector accounts for 45% of mainstream households, and since 2021 the
proportion of IFA mainstream households has steadily increased. For the first
time since 2021, there has been a slight increase in the number of IFA
households (figure 2); however, it has not been enough to offset the decline in
local authority households. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of approved or
newly approved mainstream local authority households has fallen by 14%.
Figure 2: Year-on-year net change in mainstream fostering households by
sector over the last 5 years
1. This chart is calculated by comparing datasets from separate instances of the annual fostering data
collection, while the joiners and leavers section below is based on data from just this year’s fostering data
collection. 
View the data for Figure 2 in an accessible table format.
Most regions saw slight decreases in the number of mainstream fostering
households across both local authority and IFA sectors this year. East Midlands
(8%), West Midlands (8%) and London (1%) saw small increases in the number of
IFA households, while all regions except London (no percentage change) saw a
decrease in local authority households.
Figure 3: Percentage change in number of approved mainstream fostering
households by region between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025
View the data for Figure 3 in an accessible table format.
Joiners and leavers
Although the number of mainstream households leaving continues to
exceed those joining, the net change is smaller than in the previous year.
The number of applications received during the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March
2025 was 8,290. During this period, 4,430 mainstream households joined the
sector, of which 3,050 were new to fostering. The number of deregistrations over
the same period was 4,690. Some of these may have deregistered and re-
registered, changing agency or sector. The overall change in the number of
households (joiners minus leavers) recorded in this year’s collection (–255) is
smaller than that recorded in last year’s collection (–765).
Figure 4: Total approved mainstream households at the start and end of
the collection period with in-year joiners and leavers
1. Figures are rounded, so subtotals for different types of joiner and leaver in the chart may not sum to
totals. 
View the data for Figure 4 in an accessible table format.
At the end of March 2025, there were 4,115 newly approved households, some of
which will have started the application process before the beginning of the year.
The total number of applications this year was slightly lower than last year (8,290,
down from 8,485). The proportion of applications completed has remained the
same over the past 3 years.
Figure 5: Applications received in 2024 to 2025, by status on 31 March
2025
1. This flowchart shows that, of the 8,290 applications received in 2024 to 2025, 5,370 were completed
and 2,925 were still in progress as at 31 March 2025. Of the applications completed in-year, 2,050 were
approved, with 3,290 withdrawn and 30 rejected. Of the withdrawn applications, 2,175 were withdrawn by
the applicant and 1,115 by the service. 
2. This chart is not to scale. 
3. Figures are rounded, so subtotals may not sum to totals in adjacent rows. 
View the data for Figure 5 in an accessible table format.
Of the fostering households that held approved status at some point during 1 April
2024 to 31 March 2025, 12% had deregistered by the end of the year (4,690 of
38,125). On average, local authority households that deregistered this year had
been registered for just over 7.5 years, while IFA households that deregistered
this year had been registered for just over 5.5 years. These averages have
remained consistent in recent years.
For applications started in-year that were withdrawn by the applicant by the end of
the year, the most commonly cited reasons for withdrawal were: a change in
household circumstances (not financial) (36%), other or unknown reason (35%),
and the fostering process not being as the applicant expected (20%).
Foster carers
This year, the number of mainstream foster carers has decreased by 1%
from the previous year, with the proportion of new approvals in the local
authority and IFA sectors the same as last year.
As at March 2025, there were 56,345 approved mainstream foster carers. This is
a slight decrease of 1% from last year (57,065) and a decrease of 12% from
2021 (63,890).
This year, the largest proportion of all approved foster carers were aged in their
50s (37%). Among foster carers newly approved during the year, the highest
proportion were in their 40s (31%). Around one third of approved mainstream
carers are aged 60 or over. This is consistent with last year but higher than 5 years
ago, when only around a quarter of carers were in this age group.
Fostering households
As at 31 March, 39% of IFA households were approved for 3 or more
children compared to 29% of local authority households.
As at March 2025, it was most common for mainstream households to be
approved to provide non-permanent foster care (49%) or permanent foster care
(39%) as their primary care type. In line with previous years, many households
(64%) offered multiple types of foster care. This was higher in the IFA sector
(86%) than the local authority sector (47%).
Figure 6: Household size for all approved and newly approved
mainstream fostering households as at 31 March 2025
1. Totals include households approved for zero children. 
2. All figures are rounded so subtotals may not sum to totals in brackets. 
View the data for Figure 6 in an accessible table format.
Fostering places
As at 31 March, the number of mainstream fostering places had
decreased slightly since last year, with around 3 in every 5 available places
filled in both local authority and IFA sectors.
As at March 2025, there were 69,825 approved mainstream fostering places, a
slight decrease from 70,465 the previous year. Across local authority and IFA
households, around 60% of places were filled, 17% were vacant and about 1 in 5
places were unavailable.
This year, 1,765 household places were used exclusively for short breaks, which
is equivalent to 3% of all approved mainstream places. There has been a net
increase of 41% in short-break places since 2021.
Figure 7: Number of filled, vacant and not available mainstream fostering
placements as at 31 March each year, over the last 5 years
View the data for Figure 7 in an accessible table format.
There are several reasons why a fostering place may be recorded as ‘not
available’. You can read more about this in the statistical glossary.
Formal kinship care (family and friends
fostering)
This year, formal kinship care arrangements households accounted for
21% of all active fostering households. While these arrangements have
experienced growth in previous years, the number of formal kinship care
households saw a slight decline this year compared to 2024.
As at the end of March 2025, formal kinship care continued to account for a fifth of
all fostering provision. There has been growth in the sector in recent years, with a
net increase of 9% in households since 2021. There is also a high level of
turnover in the formal kinship care sector (Figure 8), because specific households
are approved and deregistered based on need and the plan for the child.
Figure 8: Total approved formal kinship care households as at 31 March,
with in-year joiners and leavers, over the last 5 years
1. Slight discrepancies between in-year deregistrations and new approvals and subsequent totals are
because the data for each year is based on separate annual data collections. 
View the data for Figure 8 in an accessible table format.
Revisions to previous release
This is the first release of this data for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The Fostering in England 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 release also
includes:
data tables
methodology
pre-release access list
Notes
Percentages and other derived statistics in this publication are calculated using
unrounded figures. However, the underlying data in the published dataset are
rounded to the nearest 5. As a result, figures derived from the published dataset
may differ slightly from those presented in the report.
Contacts
If you are a member of the public and have any comments or feedback on this
publication, please contact Rebecca Vincent at socialcaredata@ofsted.gov.uk.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the following for their contribution to this statistical release: Jonny Shine
and Kathryn Leech.
Glossary
Definitions of terms are in the statistical glossary.
Annex: data tables for figures
This section contains the underlying data in an accessible table format for all
figures.
Data for Figure 1: Number of fostering households by type and sector as
at 31 March, over the last 5 years
Sector 2021
(45,370)
2022
(43,905)
2023
(43,405)
2024
(42,615)
2025
(42,190)
Formal kinship care
(local authority)
8,045 7,855 8,400 8,865 8,755
Mainstream (local
authority)
21,495 20,845 19,835 18,860 18,415
Mainstream (IFA) 15,830 15,205 15,170 14,890 15,020
See Figure 1.
Data for Figure 2: Year-on-year net change in mainstream fostering
households by sector over the last 5 years 
Sector 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
IFA 485 –625  –35 –280 130
Local authority –390 –650 –1,010 –975 –445
See Figure 2.
Data for Figure 3: Percentage change in number of approved mainstream
fostering households by region between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025
Region IFA Local authority
East Midlands 8% –5%
East of England 0% –2%
London 1% 0%
North East, Yorkshire and Humber –2% –3%
North West –2% –2%
South East –2% –1%
South West –4% –4%
West Midlands 8% –2%
See Figure 3.
Data for Figure 4: Total approved mainstream households at the start and
end of the collection period with in-year joiners and leavers
Group Subgroup Number
Approved households as at 1 April 2023 Total 33,690
In-year joiners New 3,050
In-year joiners Transfer 680
In-year joiners Return 335
In-year joiners Other 370
In-year leavers Leaver –3,985
In-year leavers Transfer –645
In-year leavers Other –65
Approved households as at 31 March 2024 Total 33,430
See Figure 4.
Data for Figure 5: Applications received in 2024 to 2025, by status on 31
March 2025
Group Number Percentage
Applications received in 2024 to 2025 8,290  
Applications completed 5,370 65%
Applications still in progress 2,925 35%
Applications completed in approval 2,050 38%
Applications completed in withdrawal 3,290 61%
Applications completed in rejection 30 1%
Withdrawn applications by applicant 2,175 66%
Withdrawn applications by service 1,115 34%
See Figure 5.
Data for Figure 6: Household size for all approved and newly approved
mainstream fostering households as at 31 March 2025
Sector Group 1
child
2
children
3 or more
children
Local
authority
Newly approved
(1,850)
1,030 595 220
Local
authority
All approved (18,415) 6,080 7,035 5,290
IFA Newly approved
(2,265)
750 955 555
IFA All approved (15,020) 3,190 5,910 5,920
See Figure 6.
Data for Figure 7: Number of filled, vacant and not available mainstream
fostering placements as at 31 March each year, over the last 5 years
Status of fostering place 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Not available 17,365 15,940 14,960 14,755 14,335
Vacant 14,005 13,170 12,100 11,520 12,080
Filled 44,750 44,550 44,580 42,870 42,015
See Figure 7.
Data for Figure 8: Total approved formal kinship care households as at 31
March, with in-year joiners and leavers, over the last 5 years
Group 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
New approvals (in-year) 5,215 4,850 5,465 5,600 5,595
Deregistrations (in-year) 4,180 4,470 4,755 4,665 5,170
Total approved households (at 31
March)
8,045 7,855 8,400 8,865 8,755
See Figure 8.
1. Children looked after in England including adoptions, Department for Education,
November 2024. ↩
Back to top
Is this page useful?
Yes
No
Report a problem with this page
Services and information
Benefits
Births, death, marriages and care
Business and self-employed
Childcare and parenting
Citizenship and living in the UK
Crime, justice and the law
Disabled people
Driving and transport
Education and learning
Employing people
Environment and countryside
Housing and local services
Money and tax
Passports, travel and living abroad
Visas and immigration
Working, jobs and pensions
Government activity
Departments
News
Guidance and regulation
Research and statistics
Policy papers and consultations
Transparency
How government works
Get involved
Help  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact  Terms and conditions
Rhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg  Government Digital Service
 All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated
© Crown copyright


Main findings : fostering in England 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 : Published 26 November 2025

Graduate labour market statistics : Calendar year 2024

Calendar year 2022 : UK revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity

Reporting year 2025 : Funded early education and childcare

Academic year 2023/24 : Widening participation in higher education

Qualification results in England: summer 2025 (accessible) : Published 14 August 2025

Guidance
Submitting an FE
transaction approval
request
How colleges can request approval for
non-delegated transactions from the
Department for Education (DfE).
From:
Department for Education
Published
14 August 2025
Applies to England
Get emails about this page
Menu
Home Education, training and skills Further and higher education, skills and vocational training
Further education financial management and data collection
Contents
Which transactions are beyond a college’s delegated
authority
—
Why a college must seek approval for these transactions—
Who can request approval—
How to request approval—
When to request approval—
What to do after requesting approval—
This guidance applies to colleges. It does not apply to
academy trusts.
Colleges include:
further education corporations (FE colleges)
sixth-form college corporations
designated institutions, established or designated
under section 28 of the Further and Higher
Education Act 1992
Which transactions are beyond a
college’s delegated authority
The transactions that are beyond a college’s delegated
authority are explained in part 5 of the college financial
handbook.
Those transactions include:
indemnities
guarantees
letters of comfort
write-offs or losses
novel, contentious or repercussive transactions
special payments, including:
severance
compensation
ex-gratia
extra-contractual
extra-statutory
extra-regulatory
FE senior pay approval—
Refer to sections 5.27 to 5.35 of the handbook for
guidance on the disposal of fixed assets that require
approval.
Why a college must seek approval for
these transactions
Colleges are required to maintain high standards when
they manage public money, particularly with regard to:
regularity
propriety
value for money
They must seek approval to comply with:
their accountability agreement
the college financial handbook
HM Treasury (HMT) rules on managing public money
Who can request approval
The person completing the form must have
authorisation from the college’s accounting officer to
do so.
How to request approval
To request approval, a college must submit an FE
transaction approval request form.
Refer to FE transaction approval requests: required
information for guidance on providing supplementary
evidence.
If HMT or the Charity Commission for England and
Wales also need to approve a transaction, DfE will
liaise between the parties. A separate application is not
needed.
When to request approval
Colleges must request and obtain approval before
going ahead with any transaction that is beyond their
delegated authority. If a college fails to do so, this is a
breach and likely to result in the irregular use of public
money.
Colleges must also submit any retrospective request
for approval through the FE transaction approval
request form. DfE does not give approval
automatically. A late submission will generate more
scrutiny because we will consider the request both on
its merits and the reason it was sought retrospectively.
What to do after requesting approval
A college can go ahead with a transaction once DfE
has sent proof of its approval. DfE will notify the
college if a transaction is not approved, and the
college must not proceed with the transaction.
The approvals process can take several weeks. It can
take longer if more information or HMT approval is
needed.
Colleges should contact their place-based team case
manager if they have any queries.
FE senior pay approval
Follow the guidance on applying for FE senior pay
approval if you are requesting approval for:
remuneration of senior roles above £174,000, or the
pro-rata equivalent for part-time staff
performance-related pay arrangements that exceed
£25,000
Published 14 August 2025
Get emails about this page
Contents
Explore the topic
Further education financial management and data collection
Help us improve GOV.UK
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more
about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens
in a new tab).
Services and information
Benefits
Births, death, marriages and care
Business and self-employed
Childcare and parenting
Citizenship and living in the UK
Government
activity
Departments
News
Guidance and regulation
Research and statistics
Crime, justice and the law
Disabled people
Driving and transport
Education and learning
Employing people
Environment and countryside
Housing and local services
Money and tax
Passports, travel and living abroad
Visas and immigration
Working, jobs and pensions
Policy papers and
consultations
Transparency
How government works
Get involved
Help  Privacy  Cookies  Accessibility statement  Contact
Terms and conditions  Rhestr o Wasanaethau Cymraeg
Government Digital Service
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where
otherwise stated
© Crown copyright


Submitting an FE transaction approval request : Published 14 August 2025

Cooper, Kerris

Campbell, Tammy

How do free school meal registration practices differ across 

place and time? : Research with local authorities and 

schools

“One day this could happen to me” : Children, nudification tools and sexually explicit deepfakes : April 2025

College financial handbook 2025 : effective from 1 August : Published 25 June 2025

Not a member yet