More than 800 children and young people have been living in foster homes for at least six years, says SS

In Portugal, over 800 children and young people have lived in foster care for six years or more, accounting for nearly 17% of those in care. The 2025 report from Social Security indicates a slight decrease from 873 in 2024 to 828 in 2025. The average stay in general foster care is 2.8 years, with 1,389 children in care for less than a year. The total number of children in care decreased to 6,120 in 2025, with a notable shift towards family-based care, which increased by 27.1%. Despite this, residential care still represents 92.5% of all care situations in the country.