Publication of ‘Children’s Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2025/26’

Date published: 15 October 2026

The Department of Health has today published ‘Children’s Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland 2025/26’.

Children in Need

• At 31 March 2026, 21,180 children in Northern Ireland were known to Social Services as a child in need;

Child Protection Register

• At 31 March 2026, 1,989 children were listed on the Child Protection Register;
• Neglect and physical abuse were the main reasons for a child being on the Child Protection Register and accounted for 84% of all on the register;
• A total of 1,374 child protection referrals were received by HSC Trusts[1];
• There were 1,865 new registrations to the Child Protection Register and 3,010 de- registrations during the year.

Children in care

• At 31 March 2026, 4,287 children and young people were in care in Northern Ireland. This was the highest number recorded since the introduction of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;
• Over a fifth (21%) of looked after children at 31 March 2026 had come into care within the last year and just under a third (33%) had been in care for five years or longer;
• Some five in six children in care were in foster care placements (83%), 7% placed with parents, 6% in residential care and 4% in other placements. This was similar to previous years;
• During 2025/26 there were 1,038 admissions to care and 900 discharges.

Children’s residential homes

• At 30 June 2026, there were 60 Children’s Residential Homes in Northern Ireland, 50 homes were statutory and 10 were independent.
• Statutory homes provided 264 places at an average of five places per home; independent homes provided 24 places at an average of two per home.

Children’s day care

• At 31 March 2026 there were 3,025 individuals/facilities registered as day care provision for children aged 12 and under in Northern Ireland. This was a 5% decrease on the previous year;
• Similar to the previous year, childminders made up the largest number of day care providers;
• At 31 March 2026 there were 55,870 registered places for day care in Northern Ireland representing a decrease of 3% on the previous year.

Foster Carers

• At 31 March 2026, there were 2,821 HSC Trust recruited foster carers and a further 278 Independent sector foster carers;
• During 2025/26, 641 initial home visits were carried out by HSC Trusts and 395 fostering assessments were completed;
• During 2025/26, some 329 foster carers recruited by the HSC Trusts de-registered as carers.

Young people subject to Leaving Care Act

• At 31 March 2026 there were 2,113 young people subject to the Leaving Care Act;
• Relevant and former relevant young people accounted for the largest proportion of care leavers (1,421; 67%), while qualifying young people represented for the smallest group with 44 care leavers (2%).

[1] Referrals in regards to children without an open social work case file.