Our data

Trends over time

• Although there has been an overall reduction in new applications for public and private proceedings following the Covid-19 pandemic that started in March 2020, the long-term trend over the last five years has been for an increase in the number of children and young people we work with each year from 127,670 children in 2017/18 to 143,469 in 2022/23, an increase of 12.4%.
• The biggest increases have been in private law proceedings. We worked with 97,098 children in private law proceedings in 2022/23 compared with 82,818 in 2017/18, an increase of 17.2%
• Around 2/3 of the children we work each year are involved in private law proceedings and 1/3 are involved in public law proceedings. But the percentage of children involved in private law proceedings has increased from 64.9% in 2017/8 to 67.7% in 2022/23. 
• The number of children’s cases open to Cafcass at any point in time has also increased over time. At the end of March 2023, there were 32,904 open active children’s cases compared to 26,497 in March 2018, an increase of 24%. Most of this increase has been the result of the Covid-19 pandemic and is due to the reduction in final hearings and cases closing as the work in the family courts has slowed down during Covid-19. 
• The considerable pressure on the family courts means children and families are in proceedings for longer, and this has become particularly acute 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 average length of time we worked with families in public law s31 applications increased from 30 weeks (Q4 2017/18) to 44 weeks (Q4 2020/21) and currently stands at 47 weeks (Q3 2022/23).

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.

 

April 2023

 

Headline Findings 

• In April 2023 Cafcass received 4,049 new children’s cases (6,168 children).
• The average daily demand level in April 2023 was 225 children’s cases per working day compared to 216 children’s cases received per working day during April 2022 
• The number of active open outstanding children’s cases at the end of April 2023 remains at high levels (32,339 children’s cases); this is +7.3% / +2,203 children’s cases compared to March 2020. There are currently 52,859 children on open active children’s cases.  

 

Financial year to date (April 2023 only) totals, the main changes are:  

For the 2022/23 financial year, there has been:

• A decrease in total case demand (-1.2% / –49 children’s cases compared to the same month last year). 
• A decrease in public law children’s cases (-13.3% / –168 cases)
• An increase in private law children’s cases (+4.2% / +119 cases). 

 

Public law children’s cases (April 2023)

In April 2023, Cafcass received 1,091 new public law children’s cases. These cases involved 1,779 children. 

 

S31 Care Applications (April 2023)

Cafcass received 772 new Care Applications in April 2023 featuring 1,305 children; this represents a decrease of -17.2% (-160 Care Applications) and a decrease of –9.6% (-139 children) on the 932 Care Applications received and the 1,444 children on those applications in April 2022.

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 10k children population by local authorities in England (annually).

Please click here to view the public law demand spreadsheet, which includes open active children’s cases.

 

Private law children’s cases (April 2023)

In April 2023, Cafcass received 2,958 new private law children’s cases. These cases involved 4,389 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.

Please click here to view the private law demand spreadsheet, which includes open active children’s cases.

 

Open active children’s cases (April 2023 snapshot)

There are currently 32,339 open active children’s cases. This is 2,320 fewer children’s cases (-6.7%) than April last year. These children’s cases involve 52,859 children.  

Open active cases have decreased in comparison to the end of the previous financial year. Cafcass had 19,651 open active private law children’s cases at the end of April 2023, involving 30,159 children. This is -1,338 children’s cases (-6.4%) and –2,079 children (-6.4%) compared to the same month last year.  

Cafcass had 12,688 open active public law children’s cases at the end of April 2023, involving 22,700 children. This is –982 children’s cases (-7.2%) and –1,317 children (-5.5%) compared to the same month last year.