Applications to High Court for deprivation of liberty order for children rose 12.5% in 2025

The latest Family Court Statistics Quarterly from the Ministry of Justice – covering October-December 2025 – shows that 379 applications were made for the last quarter.

This was up 18% compared to the equivalent quarter in 2024, when 321 children were the subject of deprivation of liberty applications.

Throughout 2025, quarterly figures were above those seen in 2024, signifying a continued rise since the MoJ began collecting data in July 2023.   

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) described the rise in DoL orders as reflective of “fragmented services, limited suitable accommodation and a lack of coordinated, trauma-informed care”.

It warned: “Children’s needs are often handled by disconnected agencies, leading to gaps in responsibility, inter-agency disputes and a focus on risk management over long-term well-being.”

According to the MoJ data, two-thirds of applications last quarter were for children aged 13–15.

The NFJO said the number of applications for younger children (0–12) has fallen since last quarter (from 50 to 41), however across the year, the average number of applications for this age group is higher than in 2024, suggesting increased usage of DoL orders for younger children.

It also observed that DoL orders “vastly outnumber” applications to place children in registered secure accommodation – citing a “severe shortage” of secure children’s homes.

The NFJO said only 68 applications were made between October and December 2025 for secure accommodation orders, in comparison to 380 DoL applications.

Commenting on the deprivation of liberty data, Lisa Harker, Director of Nuffield Family Justice Observatory said: “There is an urgent need to reset services for children who are experiencing the greatest vulnerabilities in our society.

“A new ecosystem of care would put children’s long-term well-being at the centre, with children and their families listened to and involved in decisions. It would mean health, children’s social care, police and education working together to better support them.

“Children deserve care from professionals who have a full understanding of their needs and who can work seamlessly together to meet them.”

The Family Court Statistics Quarterly also reveals that in relation to care proceedings, the average time for a care or supervision case to reach disposal was 36 weeks in October to December 2025, down 2 weeks compared to the same quarter in 2024.

Two fifths (41%) of cases were disposed of within 26 weeks, up 4 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024.

The average time to first disposal throughout 2025 was 38 weeks, down 3 weeks from 2024. 38% of cases were disposed of within 26 weeks, up 4 percentage points compared to 2024.

On adoption, the MoJ data reveals a decrease in both applications and orders.

In October to December 2025 there were 964 adoption applications, down 5% on the equivalent quarter in 2024. The number of adoption orders issued decreased by 8% to 917.

Annually, there were 3,837 applications and 3,835 orders for adoption in 2025, down 7% and 10% respectively from 2024.

Lottie Winson