Child Protection Register Shows Slight Decrease in Northern Ireland
Date published:
Site topics:
Health and social care
New accredited official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Health present the Quarterly Child Protection Statistics for Northern Ireland for the period ending March 2025.
Key findings:
- 2,283 children were on the child protection register in Northern Ireland at 31 March 2025, representing a decrease of 2.2% since 31 March 2024
- The Northern Trust had the highest number of children on the child protection register with 555 children, while the South Eastern Trust had the lowest with 390 children
- The most common category of abuse was "Neglect only" accounting for 797 cases (35% of all registrations)
- 376 child protection referrals were received across Northern Ireland during the quarter, a decrease of 10% compared to the same period last year
- Almost 90% of children on the register (2,034) had "No legal status" while 101 children were "Accommodated" under Article 21
About the publication:
The full report provides analysis of:
- Children on the register by age group and HSC Trust
- Categories of abuse leading to registration
- Duration of time spent on the register
- Legal status of children on the register
- Child protection referrals by source and HSC Trust
- Trends in child protection registrations and referrals
Further information:
Read the full report: Quarterly Child Protection Statistics for Northern Ireland (March 2025)