While there is no definitive statistical metric for the exact number of children from care homes "out on the streets" on an average night, data from the Department for Education and leading UK charities like Missing People provide a clear picture of how frequently children in care go missing:
- 1 in 10 children in care go missing each year: Roughly 10% to 11% of all looked-after children experience at least one missing incident over the course of a year. This is starkly higher than the general child population, where only about 1 in 200 (0.5%) go missing. [1,
- High frequency of repeat incidents: On average, a child in care who goes missing does so 6 to 7 times a year. This indicates that missing episodes are a frequent and recurring vulnerability rather than isolated incidents.
- Most are short-term: The vast majority of these missing incidents are brief. Government and police data show that 79% of missing children are located within 24 hours, and 91% are found within 48 hours. Fewer than 2% remain missing for more than a week.
- Disproportionate risk for vulnerable groups: For specific subgroups within the care system, the numbers soar. Approximately 48% of children identified as being exploited and 31% of trafficked children in care go missing at least once a year. AI.
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