AbstractThe number of children in the care of local authorities in the U.K. has increased by roughly 50% since 1970, an indication of the importance of planning appropriate resources for such children. This paper describes a project involving Social Services Department research officers in the South West Region, co-ordinated by the authors, aimed at developing and applying a common approach to planning for the numbers of children in care for whom different types of provision (residential and community) are likely to be required in future years. The primary purpose was to assist the Regional Planning Committee (R.P.C.) prepare its plan, as called for by the D.H.S.S.