Table 4. Characteristics of out-of-home care during the two years following first entry, by age and year of birth.

Age group at first entry		1992				2000				2008
		Family	Group	Other		Family	Group	Other		Family	Group	Other
(i) First placement typea
<1 year		90.1%	8.4%	1.6%		89.9%	9.9%	0.3%		91.2%	8.5%	0.3%
<1–4 years		95.9%	2.3%	1.8%		98.1%	1.8%	0.2%		99.2%	0.5%	0.4%
<5–10 years		90.7%	8.0%	1.3%		95.8%	3.5%	0.6%
<11–15 yearsb		73.4%	23.0%	3.5%
<16+ yearsb		30.0%	34.6%	35.3%
Age group at first entry		1992				2000				2008
		Mean	Range	>1 change		Mean	Range	>1 change		Mean	Range	>1 change
(ii) Placement changesc
<1 year		1.59	0–51	32.2%		1.49	0–10	37.6%		1.25	0–9	31.0%
<1–4 years		1.95	0–67	38.4%		1.26	0–30	32.2%		1.08	0–16	13.9%
<5–10 years		1.70	0–60	35.9%		1.01	0–18	22.9%
<11–15 years		2.03	0–135	39.2%
Age group at first entry			1992				2000				2008
			Mean	Median			Mean	Median			Mean	Median
(iii) Time in care (weeks)d
<1 year			49	39			66	75			70	80
<1–4 years			45	24			63	78			67	83
<5–10 years			65	94			67	95
<11–15 years			57	61

^aFamily placement = placed for adoption and kin or stranger foster care; group placement = children’s home, health-related residential setting, residential school or other supported accommodation; other placement = independent living, in custody or other placement. Codes in each placement category are described in Supplementary Table 3.

^bOf children born in 1992, 1% of those entering care aged 11–15 and 33% of those aged 16+ were placed in independent living.

^cRange and mean number of placement changes in the two years following first entry to out-of-home care and the proportion of children who experienced more than one placement change during this time.

^dMean and median weeks in care in the two years following first entry to out-of-home care.