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<p>Figures showing the position for children looked after at 31 March 2018 will be
published on the 15 November 2018.</p><p>The latest figures show that the number of
children who were looked after as at 31 March 2017 was 72,670.</p><p>There were 4,350
looked after children adopted during the year ending 31 March 2017. In that period,
the average time between the decision the child should be placed for adoption and
the child being matched to adopters was eight months. These figures were published
in 2017 in table A1, E1 and E2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in
England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 (SFR 50/2017)’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017</a>.</p><p>Some
2,580 children had a placement order but had not been placed for adoption as at 31
March 2017. 18 per cent (or 460 children) had been waiting 18 months or more since
the adoption decision. Figures on the number and percentage of children categorised
by other waiting times are published in table E4 of the above statistical publication.</p><p>
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