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New Department for Education figures published today show that 81,770 children were in the care of councils as of 31 March 2025.
This represents an 18 per cent increase over the past decade, up from 69,460 children in 2015. The rise follows separate data released last month indicating that councils carry out more than 600 child protection investigations every day, reflecting growing concerns about children at risk of harm.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that these pressures underline the urgent need for long-term, sustainable funding for children’s services. It is calling on the Chancellor to use the forthcoming Budget to ensure councils have the resources they need across the full spectrum of support — from early family help and child protection, to services for children in care and care leavers.
The LGA says children’s social care is central to the Government’s ambition to break down barriers to opportunity, and stresses that the escalating demand is placing severe strain on local authority finances.
Between 2022/23 and 2024/25, councils overspent on children’s social care by an average of 14.2 per cent per year, despite increasing their planned budgets. For 2025/26, councils are planning a further 10.1 per cent rise in spending, but many are having to make in-year cuts to other services or draw on rapidly depleting reserves to balance their books — a situation the LGA says is “not financially sustainable”.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Board, said:
“Councils want to do everything they can to support children and young people and help them to thrive.
But these figures highlight the enormous pressures councils are under to provide this lifeline of support.
It is vital that next week’s Budget sets out measures to adequately fund children’s services, so councils have the resources they need to ensure children get the support they deserve.”
