Care applications fell for the third December in a row, official data shows.
There were 1008 care applications made to Cafcass in December 2017. In December 2016 there were 1094 and in December 2015 there were 1103.
The figures were not as low as in 2014 when 932 care applications were made.
The statistics also show a drop from November 2017 when there were 1224 care applications and there were 1200 in October.
So far in this financial year 2017-18 there have been 10,590 with three more months to go before the yearly figures are totalled. In 2016-17 there were 14,599 and in 2015-16 there were 12,792 care applications.
The next few months should show an indication as to whether the number of care applications being made is starting to slow down or whether December was merely a seasonal fall.
Cafcass and the courts have raised concerns about the overall rising number of care applications and the effects on the system.
Statistics are available here.
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