Department For Education
The children looked after return is an annual statutory data collection for all local authorities. You must complete statutory censuses by law unless theres a good reason not to.
The data covers the financial year (1 April to 31 March). It records details of:
- every child your local authority looks after at any time during the year
- all young people who are eligible for care leaver support and whose 17th to 25th birthdays fall within the collection period
- information on the health of children who have been looked after continuously for 12 months
- information on adoptions of looked-after children
Under the Children Act 1989, a child is legally defined as looked after by a local authority if he or she:
- gets accommodation from the local authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours
- is subject to a care order (to put the child into the care of the local authority)
- is subject to a placement order (to put the child up for adoption)
Important dates
2024 to 2025 return
- collection opens Tuesday 1 April 2025
- data loaded by Friday 30 May 2025
- main children looked after data and social worker episodes data submitted by Monday 30 June 2025
Submit your data
You should submit your 2024 to 2025 data in XML or CSV format using the CLA 2025 application. Well publish the application before the return opens and notify all users.
See the guide for local authorities for more information on preparing the data.
Return documents
The following documents will help local authorities complete the children looked after return:
2024 to 2025 return
2025 to 2026 return
Help with submitting data
For complex questions, or if you want to request a username and password for the CLA application, use the service request form. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.
Feedback
Use the feedback form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including the CLA system and the helpdesk service.
Updates to this page
Last updated 16 October 2024 +show all updates
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Links to the 2025 to 2026 return guide for local authorities and technical specification have been added. The 2024 to 2025 return dates have been added.
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Updated the 'Important dates' section with new dates.
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The 2024 to 2025 return guide for local authorities and technical specification have been added. The 2023 to 2024 return dates have been added.
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Updated 'return documents' and 'important dates' sections with latest 2023 to 2024 information.
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Updated 'return documents' section with latest 2023 to 2024 information.
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Updated 'important dates' and 'return documents' sections with latest 2022-2023 information.
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Updated how to submit data for 2020 to 2021.
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Added links to the 2021 to 2022 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2020 to 2021 return.
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2019 to 2020 return dates information updated.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: the children looked after data collection will not open on 1 April.
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Added deadline for submitting 2019 to 2020 children looked after return data - Tuesday 30 June 2020.
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Added links to the 2020 to 2021 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2019 to 2020 return.
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Updated 'guide for local authorities' link in 'Submit your data' section.
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Added links to the 2019 to 2020 return guide and technical specification and updated important dates for the 2018 to 2019 return.