Spending on children’s residential care in Jersey has surged to almost £11 million a year – but the government is unable to provide a full breakdown of how much is being spent to send vulnerable children off-island.
Figures released in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Law revealed that residential care costs in the island have nearly doubled in five years – rising from £5.8m in 2020 to £10.7m in 2025.
Local foster care costs have also increased, though more gradually – from £2.3m in 2020 to £3.2m in 2025.
At the same time, the number of children sent away for specialist placements has increased – but the total bill for those placements remains unknown.
The government was “unable to provide the annual expenditure” on off-island residential care because the data is not held “in an extractable format”.
Officials also could not provide information on spending on off-island foster placements.
Fewer than five children were placed in off-island residential care each year between 2020 and 2023. That number rose to six in both 2024 and 2025.
These placements include highly specialised care such as secure units and therapeutic residential settings.
However, the government refused to provide a breakdown by placement type, saying the numbers were too small and could risk identifying individuals.
Despite the rising costs, the number of children in care has fallen from 84 at the end of 2020, compared with just 59 in both 2024 and 2025.
Over the same period, the Children’s Services budget increased from £23m in 2020 to £33.6m in 2025.
Spending has now overtaken budgets, with an overspend recorded in the past two years, including £34.1m spent in 2025.
The figures come after almost £12m was set aside in the most recent government budget to fund new and improved residential care facilities for the island’s looked-after children.
And last year, a new children’s home was opened in St Helier amid an “effective crisis” in the number of beds available for young islanders in care.