LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
1. At 31 st March 2009 there were 15,288 children looked after by local authorities, an increase of 3 per cent since 2008. The number of children looked after has increased every year since 2001, and is at its highest since 1983. (Tables 1.1, 2.1, 2.9, Chart 1).
2. Fifty five per cent of children looked after on 31 st March 2009 were male ( Table 1.1). Sixty nine per cent were aged 5-15, with just under half of these in the 12-15 age group (Tables 1.1, 2.1, Chart 3).
3. Most children looked after on 31 st March 2009 were under supervision requirement, either at home (31 per cent of all children looked after) or away from home (33 per cent). A further 8 per cent were accommodated under Section 25 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (Tables 1.4, 2.2).
4. At 31 st March 2009, 39 per cent of children looked after were looked after at home with parents and 20 per cent were looked after by friends or relatives. The number of children being looked after by friends or relatives increased by 25 per cent compared with 31 st March 2008, from 2,399 to 2,990 (Tables 1.8, 2.3, Chart 2).
5. At 31 st March 2009, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of children looked after were with foster carers provided by the local authority, with a further 6 per cent looked after by foster carers purchased by the local authority. The number of children looked after by foster carers or prospective adopters has increased every year since 1993, from 2,574 to 4,739 (Tables 1.8, 2.3, 2.9, Chart 2).
6. At 31 st March 2009, the proportion of children looked after in residential care was 10 per cent nationally, and is now at its lowest since when data has been available. The actual numbers of children in residential care have been fairly stable since 2000, at around 1,600 (Tables 1.8, 2.9).
7. At 31 st March 2009 there were a further 2,123 children being looked after on a current planned series of short term placements, an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year. Just under half (47 per cent) of children looked after on a series of short term placements were looked after residentially and 31 per cent were looked after by foster carers (Tables 1.29, 1.30 and 2.8).