The Department for Education (DfE) has published two reports on the characteristics and placements of looked after children in England, including a report on children aged under 16. Figures show that: there were 6,180 looked after children living independently or in semi-independent living accommodation at 31 March 2019, an increase of 80% from 3,430 at the same time in 2010; and across the year 2018-19 there were 660 children under the age of 16 placed in independent or in semi-independent living accommodation of which 94% were children aged 14 or 15.