This statistics publication from the UK Department for Education provides information about looked after children in England for the year ending 31 March 2018, including their placement type, their legal status, the numbers starting and ceasing to be looked after, and the numbers who go missing or are away from their placement without authorisation. Data is reported on care leavers aged 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 years, and numbers include looked after children who were placed for adoption, the number who were adopted and the average time between different stages of the adoption process.