NORTHERN IRELAND

The figures presented below are taken from statistical reports gathered and published by government departments and bodies. Details of sources are provided at the foot of this page.

Looked After Children
  Placements
  Legal Status
Adoption
  Adoptions from Care
  Waiting Times
  Types of Adopters 
  Adopter Characteristics
Sources

LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

On 31 March 2026:

  • 4,287 children were in the care of local authorities
  • the rate of all looked after children per 10,000 population under 18 years was 98.4

Duration in Care

On 31 March 2026:

  • 21% of looked after children had come into care within the last year and 33% had been in care for five years or longer.

Placements

On 31 March 2026:

  • 83% (3,566) of children looked after were living with foster carers - of which 1,284 were in non-kinship foster care, and 2,282 in kinship foster care
  • 7% (290) were placed with parent
  • 6% (242) were living in residential care
  • 4% (189) were living in other types of placements (includes children placed for adoption)

Legal Status

On 31 March 2026:

  • 2,634 (61%) children looked after under care orders (Article 50 or 59)
  • 997 (23%) children looked after were accommodated Article 21
  • 554 (13%) children looked after under interim care orders (Article 57)

ADOPTION

Adoptions from Care

90 looked after children were adopted in the year ending 31 March 2026

Waiting times

For children adopted in 2025-26, the average length of time between the last entry into care and the granting of the Adoption Order was 3 years 1 month.

Types of Adopters

During year ending 31 March 2026:

  • 49% (44) of children adopted from care were adopted by concurrent carers
  • 17% (15) of children adopted from care were adopted by dual approved carers
  • 16% (14) of children adopted from care were adopted by former foster carers
  • 19% (17) of children adopted from care were adopted by adopters only

Adopter Characteristics

During year ending 31 March 2026:

  • 67% of adopters were different sex couples who were either married or unmarried, 24% of adopters were same sex couples who were married, in a civil partnership or unmarried, 9% were single female or male adopters
  • Of the adopters,9 had previously adopted a child or children and 16 had dependent birth children living in the household

 

SOURCES

Department of Health: Children's Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2025/26 

The children's social care statistics for Northern Ireland provide data collected from each of the five health and social care trusts for children in need at 31 March and year ending 31 March, including the total number children in need known to social services by age, gender, religion and ethnicity and the total number of children in need referrals received by source of referral.

Department of Health: Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland 2025/26

The children adopted from care statistics for Northern Ireland include data on overall numbers of children adopted from care, the timing of the adoption process (duration of final period of care, durations between different stages of the adoption process, average ages of children at each stage of adoption process), the adoption process by age group, foster care adoptions and a UK adoption statistics comparison.