The AFCARS Trends Chart tracks children in Foster Care from FY 2002 through the most recent year. A table of data and a graphic depiction of trends are shown for children in care on the first day of the year, entries to foster care, exits, children waiting to be adopted, children adopted, children with terminations of parental rights, and total children served in foster care.

In 2021, about 35,940 children who were adopted in the United States with public agency involvement were adopted by a married couple. In that same year, a further 13,307 children in the country were adopted by a single woman.

In 2022, about 108,877 children in the United States were waiting to be adopted. This is a decrease from a high of 133,682 children who were waiting to be adopted nationwide in 2007.

The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory (formerly the National Adoption Directory) offers adoption and foster care resources by State.

The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) is a federally mandated data collection system intended to provide case specific information on all children covered by the protections of Title IV-B/E of the Social Security Act (Section 427). Under the Final 1993 AFCARS’ rule, states are required to collect and submit data on all children who are under the responsiblity of the title IV-B/IV-E agency for placement, care, or supervision.

Units of Response: Children in Foster Care

Type of Data: Administrative

Tribal Data: Unavailable

Periodicity: Semiannual

Demographic Indicators: Disability;Geographic Areas;Sex

SORN: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/14/2016-29366/adoption-and-foster-care-analysis-and-reporting-system

Data Use Agreement: https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/order_forms/termsofuseagreement.pdf

Data Use Agreement Location: https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/order_forms/termsofuseagreement.pdf

Granularity: Individual

Spatial: United States

Geocoding: FIPS Code

In 2021, there were 168,063 white children in foster care in the United States. This is compared to 86,645 Black or African American children and 85,215 Hispanic children who were in foster care.

Foster care in the United States

Foster care is where minors are taken care of in different institutions, such as a group home or private home of a caregiver certified by the state (called a foster parent). The procedure for becoming a foster parent in the United States varies from state to state. It is up to the state to determine the process; however it is overseen by the Department of Child Protective Services. It is sometimes seen as a precursor to adoption, which is different from fostering a child. There are many barriers to fostering and adopting children, such as high costs and long wait times, which can discourage people from doing it.

Who are foster children?

The number of children in foster care in the United States has decreased slightly since 2011. When looked at by age, most of the children in foster care in 2020 were one year old, and slightly more male children were in foster care than female children. Most of the children in foster care were placed into non-relative foster family homes, and in most cases, the primary goal of foster care is to reunify children with their parents or primary caregivers.

The dataset contains demographic and case characteristics of children in foster care each month. The dataset includes the children’s sex, age, race, goal and average time spent in foster care in Norfolk. The data is from Virginia’s Online Automated Services Information System (OASIS). OASIS is a comprehensive system that tracks the day-to-day activities performed by social workers statewide and is the official case record system for foster care and adoption cases in Virginia.

This dataset details the work accomplished by staff at the Norfolk Department of Human Services with the goal of finding safe, permanent homes for children in Norfolk’s foster care system. This dataset is updated monthly.

According to a survey conducted in 2021, 59 percent of Americans approved of parents adopting a child of a different race in the United States while 52 percent of Americans approved of parents in a same sex relationship adopting a child in the United States.

Users can get information related to child welfare in the United States. Background The Child Welfare Information Gateway is part of the Administration of Children and Families. It provides resources and statistics related to child welfare, child abuse, child neglect, adoption and more. Resources are grouped under the following topics: family-centered practice; child abuse and neglect; preventing child abuse and neglect; responding to child abuse and neglect; supporting and preserving families; out-of-home care; achieving and maintaining permanency; and adoption. User Functionality The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a number of resources for users. Users can search for foster care and adoption agencies by state using the National Foster Care and Adoption Directory; search for relevant publications using the Online Catalog and Library Search tools; search for State Statutes; and link to external databases related to child and family well-being, child abuse and neglect, child welfare and foster care, or adoption. Data Notes Years and data sources are clearly identified for each resource.

Number of children under age 21 in foster care as of July 1 of each year, by race/ethnicity. This is a point-in-time, unduplicated count of children under the supervision of county welfare departments and excludes cases under the supervision of county probation departments, out-of-state agencies, state adoptions district offices, and Indian child welfare departments. The total by race/ethnicity may not add up to total number of children in foster care due to missing values. U.S. totals reflect children in foster care as of Sept. 30 each year. N/A means that data are not available. Data Source: As cited on kidsdata.org, Needell, B., et al. (May 2014). Child Welfare Services Reports forCalifornia, U.C. Berkeley Center for Social Services Research; U.S. data come from Child Trends analysis of Adoption and Foster CareAnalysis and Reporting System data available through the National DataArchive on Child Abuse & Neglect, as cited on KIDS COUNT (May 2014). Retrieved on May 31, 2015.

Users can request data and reports related, but not limited to child abuse, neglect, foster care, and child well-being. Background The National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect collects data on the well-being of children. The archive is a project of the Family Life Development Center, Department of Human Ecology at Cornell University. The archive collects data sets from the The National Survey of Child Health and Well-being, The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System, The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, and other data related to child abuse, neglect, victimization, m altreatment, sexual abuse, homelessness, and safety. User functionality Users can access abstracts of data sets which discuss the time period and logistics of collecting the data. There are different requirements for accessing different data sets. All requirements are clearly outlined. All data sets must be ordered through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. Application materials must be mailed to the archive for access permission. Requirements for access vary by amount of personal information included in the data set. Data Notes The chief investigator, the years of data collection and a description of the data set is available on the website for every data set. The website does not convey when new data sets will be added.

This statistic shows the number of children adopted in the United States in 2014, by state. During October 2013 to September 2014, total 5,287 children were adopted in California.

In 2022, about 53,665 children in the United States were adopted with the involvement of the public child welfare agency. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 54,240 children were adopted with public child welfare agency involvement.

All title IV-E agencies (states, territories, and tribes) report financial information on a quarterly basis for the title IV-E Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, Guardianship Assistance, Prevention Services, and Kinship Navigator programs using Form CB-496. Form CB-496 quarterly reporting includes costs (expenditures and next-quarter estimates) and caseload data in various funding categories. Units of Response: Program Type of Data: Financial Tribal Data: Yes Periodicity: Annual Demographic Indicators: Geographic Areas SORN: Not Applicable Data Use Agreement: No Data Use Agreement Location: Unavailable Granularity: Program;State Spatial: United States Geocoding: Unavailable

Number of first entries into foster care for children under age 18. Rates represent a three-year average of data. First entries into foster care are unduplicated counts of children under the supervision of county welfare departments and exclude cases under the supervision of county probation departments, out-of-state agencies, state adoptions district offices, and Indian child welfare departments. For rates, LNE (Low Number Event) refers to data that have been suppressed because there were fewer than 20 first entries. N/A means that data are not available. Needell, B., et al. (May 2014). Child Welfare Services Reports for California, U.C. Berkeley Center for Social Services Research; U.S. data come from Child Trends analysis of Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data available through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse & Neglect, as cited on KIDS COUNT (May 2014). Retrieved May 31, 2015.

This chart counts the number of children in DFPS custody on August 31 of the fiscal year who meet all of the following criteria: (1) a court has terminated all parental rights; (2) the child has a plan of adoption; and (3) the child is not in an adoptive placement.

The count includes both children who are in an intended to be permanent home and children who are not in an intended to be permanent home. Use the filter to isolate these counts.

Children in DFPS custody are those for whom a court has appointed DFPS legal responsibility through temporary or permanent managing conservatorship or other court ordered legal basis. An adoptive placement occurs when the child's caseworker, the family's case manager, and the adoptive family sign paperwork officially placing the child in the home for adoption. Before the paperwork can be signed, a child must be free for adoption (meaning a court has terminated parental rights), have a permanency goal of adoption and the family must have been approved for adoption through a licensed child placing agency.

The adoption and child welfare industry has experienced overall growth even during the pandemic years, as increased stress-related service needs boosted demand and federal funding boosted revenues. While some service providers relied on private donations, corporate profit was strong in 2021. Technology adoption enabled remote delivery of services and expanded market reach, which helped reduce costs and enhance efficiency. Online matching platforms, VR training systems and case management software are examples of how technology has reduced costs and differentiated services to incentivize niche entry into underserved markets. And because of the strong growth in the number of establishments meeting demand and ample funding support during the pandemic, industry-wide revenue is expected to climb at a CAGR of 4.3% to $30.5 billion through 2025, with revenue growth inching up an estimated 1.7% in 2025 alone. The diversity of services offered and the unique characteristics of funding lead to disparate growth in services. Revenue for many establishments depends on the combination of government funding and private donations, which change with economic and government policy fluctuations, while demographic and social stressors impact the need for services. The disconnect between payors and clients creates an imbalance of funding and demand, adding to revenue volatility. Regional factors impact the provision of services and shortfalls. While demand in some states is growing because of increasing population, the long lead time to entry has led to a shortfall in provision.

Reorganizing key agencies under the new Administration for a Healthy America will bring some volatility to the industry. Government funding, crucial to more than half of industry revenue, faces volatility as restructuring could disrupt services, staffing and program effectiveness. This realignment offers potential efficiency gains through improved collaboration, but details about governance and resources remain in flux. Because of the uncertain impact of federal changes, private funding and state initiatives are vital for near-term future revenue growth. For-profit providers can leverage technology to reduce costs and capitalize on economies of scale, entering markets where nonprofits dominate. Telehealth innovations and online platforms lead to a broader reach and service efficiency, intensifying competition. As demand increases in rapidly growing states, nonprofit providers should streamline operations and secure diverse funding sources to meet community needs effectively. But despite numerous policy, technology and demographic shifts, industry revenue is forecast to climb at a slower CAGR of 1.2% through 2030 to total $32.5 billion with profit holding steady at a slim 3.1%.

This statistic shows the percentage of children adopted from foster care in the United States in 2011, by parents' belief that abuse or neglect was likely prior to placement. As of 2011, 50 percent of adopted childrens' parents stated that it was very likely or likely that emotional abuse had taken place before the adopted child had been placed in their family.

Number of Finalized Adoptions between July 1, 2015 and September 30, 2015; number of new Adoptive Placements between July 1, 2015 and September 30, 2015; number of Approved Applicants as of September 30, 2015; and number of Adoptive Applicants in Process as of September 30, 2015.