Statistics
This is the first statistical release of the Children and Families Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network. It records the position at establishment on 6 September 2026 and the activity transferred to the Department from the interim arrangements of member organisations during the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026.
- 11,240
- Children under eighteen registered as resident in the Network
- 3,780
- Of whom under the age of five
- 61
- Children in the care of the Department
- 512
- Family support cases open
The position at establishment. The counts below are as at 6 September 2026.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Children under eighteen registered as resident | 11,240 |
| Children under five | 3,780 |
| Registered early years providers | 46 |
| Registered early years places | 2,414 |
| Approved foster carers | 96 |
| Children in the care of the Department | 61 |
| Households in assessment as adopters or foster carers | 23 |
| Open family support cases | 512 |
| Open safeguarding protection plans | 58 |
| Staff of the Department | 214 |
Activity during the transition period. The figures below cover 10 August to 5 September 2026, a period of four weeks. They were compiled by member organisations under interim arrangements and are published as they were received.
| Measure | Count | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Safeguarding concerns recorded | 218 | Of which 47 referred to another body |
| Assessments of a child's needs completed | 96 | Median 14 working days from concern to completion |
| Protection plans made | 31 | 27 remained open at establishment |
| Early years places taken up | 1,844 | 76 per cent of registered places |
| Adoption orders made | 9 | Made by courts of the Network |
| Fostering placements begun | 34 | Of which 11 lasted fewer than 28 days |
| Households approved as carers | 12 | 8 as foster carers, 4 as adopters |
| Family support cases opened | 196 | 512 cases stood open at the end of the period |
| Family support cases closed | 141 | Median 9 weeks from opening to closure |
| Short breaks arranged | 184 | For 63 households |
By age of child. The table below sets the registered population of children against the concerns recorded in the transition period and the children in the care of the Department at establishment.
| Age group | Children registered | Concerns recorded, 10 August to 5 September | Children in care at establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 612 | 24 | 3 |
| 1 to 4 | 3,168 | 71 | 12 |
| 5 to 10 | 3,414 | 58 | 19 |
| 11 to 15 | 2,876 | 41 | 18 |
| 16 and 17 | 1,170 | 24 | 9 |
| Total | 11,240 | 218 | 61 |
Publication schedule. The Department publishes statistics quarterly, and an annual report in the October following the end of each year of operation. Each release is announced in the Newsroom on the day of publication.
| Release | Period covered | Publication | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| First release | Position at establishment; transition period 10 August to 5 September 2026 | 6 September 2026 | Published |
| Quarter to 30 September 2026 | 6 to 30 September 2026 | October 2026 | Forthcoming |
| Quarter to 31 December 2026 | 1 October to 31 December 2026 | January 2027 | Forthcoming |
| Quarter to 31 March 2027 | 1 January to 31 March 2027 | April 2027 | Forthcoming |
| First annual report | 6 September 2026 to 5 September 2027 | October 2027 | Forthcoming |
Notes on the figures. A child is counted as resident in the Network if the child is registered at one of the six principal sites on the day of the count. A concern is counted once, on the day it is received, whatever action follows from it; a second concern about the same child is counted separately. A family support case is counted as open until the household or the Department closes it in writing. Figures for the transition period are not directly comparable with those the Department will publish for later periods, because they were recorded by member organisations to their own definitions before a common record existed. From the quarter ending 30 September 2026 the Department will also report its performance against the response standards published on the Safeguarding page.
Corrections to a published figure are made in the following release and are listed there. A query about a figure, or a request for the underlying table, may be sent to contact@children.gov.vin. For the events behind these figures, see History.