Our data

• There has been an overall longer-term reduction in new applications for public and private proceedings following the Covid-19 pandemic that started in March 2020.
• Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 Cafcass received 55,830 new children's cases in 2023/24 involving 86,419 children. This is 10.3% (-6,378 children’s case / -10,711 children) lower than five years ago (2018/19).
• Cafcass continues to support a higher number of children annually. The organisation worked with 137,347 children on new or existing proceedings in 2023/24 compared to 133,850 five years ago (2018/19), an increase of 2.6% (3,497) children.
• More than two thirds (67.3%) of children we worked with are involved in private law proceedings and slightly lower than one third (32.7%) are involved in public law proceedings.
• The considerable pressure on the family courts means children and families continue to be in proceedings for longer since the Covid-19 pandemic. We produce quarterly data for the length of time we work with children and families in public law Section 31 proceedings.
• The latest available figures indicate that on average Cafcass’ involvement in S31 applications (Care and Supervision) in Quarter 3 (October – December 2023) took 43 weeks to conclude. In the same period five years ago (October – December 2018) the average duration of Cafcass’ involvement in these cases was 33 weeks.

Cafcass private law and public law demand statistics are published on the tenth working day of each month. If you have any queries about the statistics, please contact us via our website form.

• In April 2024, Cafcass received 4,796 new children's cases, involving 7,339 children.
• The average daily demand level in April 2024 was 228 children's cases per working day compared to 220 children's cases received per working day during April 2023.
• There were 30,049 open children’s cases at the end of April 2024, involving 48,967 children; when compared to the same period last year this is a reduction of 7.1% children’s cases and 7.4% children (-2,290 children’s cases / -3,892 children).

• An increase in total case demand (+21.3% / +841 children's cases compared to the same period last year).
• An increase in public law children's cases (+21.7% / +236 children's cases compared to the same period last year).
• An increase in private law children's cases (+21.1% / +605 children's cases compared to the same period last year).

It is important to note that April 2023 had 18 working days compared to 21 working days in April 2024, which is a significant contributor to data comparisons for this first month of the reporting year.

Between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2024, Cafcass received 1,323 new public law children’s cases, involving 2,074 children.

Between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2024, Cafcass received 912 new S31 Care Applications, involving 1,472 children.

There has been an increase of 135 S31 care applications compared to the same period last year (+17.4%) and represents an increase of 166 children on total applications received during the financial year.

Our public law data shows regularly updated statistics covering both national and local trends for:

• the total number of public law cases
• the number of care order applications made by local authorities and the number of children involved (monthly)
• the length of time taken to complete care and supervision proceedings (quarterly)
• number of care order applications by local authorities in England (quarterly)
• the rate of care order applications per ten thousand children population by local authorities in England (annually).

View our public law demand spreadsheet, which includes open children’s cases as well as the number of children subject to S31 Care applications per 10,000 population.

Between 1 April 2024 and 30 April 2024, Cafcass received 3,473 new private law children’s cases, involving 5,265 children.

Private law demand is generally used to refer to applications made following a divorce or separation about the arrangements for children, such as where a child will live or with whom a child will spend time.

View our private law demand spreadsheet, which includes open children’s cases.

There are currently 30,049 open children’s cases. This is 2,290 fewer children's cases (-7.1%) than the same time last year. These children’s cases involve 48,967 children, which is 3,892 (-7.4%) fewer children compared to the same month last year.

Open children’s cases have decreased in comparison to the end of the previous financial year. Cafcass had 11,798 open public law children's cases at the end of April 2024, involving 20,827 children. This is -890 (-7.0%) fewer children's cases and 1,873 (-8.3%) fewer children compared to the same month last year.

Cafcass had 18,251 open private law children's cases at the end of April 2024, involving 28,140 children. This is 1,400 (-7.1%) fewer children's cases and 2,019 (-6.7%) fewer children compared to the same month last year.