At the end of March 2023, family and friends households represented 19% of all active fostering households, up from 16% in 2019. This year, the sector accounted for 18% of all approved foster carers and 21% of all fostered children. The sector has grown substantially over recent years, with a 21% net increase since 2019. There is also a high level of turnover in the family and friends sector (figure 9), because specific households are approved and deregistered based on need. Figure 9: Total approved family and friends households as at 31 March, with in-year joiners and leavers, over the last 5 years View the data for figure 9 in an accessible table format. Estimates are included in the number of households as at 31 March 2020. Slight discrepancies between in-year deregistrations and new approvals and subsequent totals are because the data for each year is based on separate annual data collections.