Care applications continue to rise in England

Cafcass latest care statistics between April 2011 and March 2012 show that the number of care applications made by local authorities remains at an unprecedented high level.

Cafcass received 10,199 new applications last year, 10.8% higher when compared to the previous financial year. Applications received between May 2011 to February 2012 this year have been the highest ever recorded by Cafcass for these individual months. January 2012 saw the highest ever number of care applications recorded in an individual month, with 912 applications.

During 2010-11 Cafcass experienced a 4.2% increase in care applications with 9,202 new applications up from 8,832 in 2009-10, which itself had seen a 36% increase in the number of applications received compared to 2008-2009.