Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in care in England were living more than (a) 50 and b) 100 miles from home on (i) 31 March 2024 and (ii) for each of the preceding four years.
The number of children looked after by English local authorities who were living more than 50 and 100 miles from home on 31 March 2024 and for each of the preceding four years is shown in the table below.
Year | Living more than 50 miles from home | Of which: living more than 100 miles from home |
2020 | 6,850 | 2,920 |
2021 | 7,210 | 2,990 |
2022 | 7,010 | 2,970 |
2023 | 7,210 | 3,060 |
2024 | 7,350 | 3,120 |
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
The number of children looked after by English local authorities who were living in Wales and Scotland on 31 March 2024 and for each of the preceding four years is published annually in section 4.7 of the methodology document that accompanies our statistical release. This can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions#content-section-4-content-7.