New statistics on children in residential care in Scotland
The Scottish Government has published (28 July) statistics on the number of children in residential child care in Scotland, based on data from Scotland’s national Census in 2022.
This data is intended to complement the annual Looked After Children statistics to provide a broader understanding of the circumstances of children living in residential child care. The numbers are compared to children not living in communal establishments – such as children’s homes or secure units - categorised as “children in households”, which includes children who are cared for by foster carers, wider family or friends in kinship care, or by their parents with support from social services with a supervision order in place, children with previous experience of care, and children with no care experience.
On Census Day in 2022, 20 March, an estimated 975 children in Scotland were being cared for in residential child care, with 60% of the children aged between 15 and 17.
92% of children being cared for in residential child care were reported as having good or very good health, in comparison to 97% of children who live in households. A third of children in residential child care were reported as having a learning disability, learning difficulty or developmental disorder, and 16% with a mental health condition.
The percentage of children living in residential child care who had an activity limiting health problem or disability which had lasted, or was expected to last, at least 12 months was 18%, which was 9% higher than for children in households.