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.

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

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.

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 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

States report information from two reporting populations: (1) The Served Population which is information on all youth receiving at least one independent living services paid or provided by the Chafee Program agency, and (2) Youth completing the NYTD Survey. States survey youth regarding six outcomes: financial self-sufficiency, experience with homelessness, educational attainment, positive connections with adults, high-risk behaviors, and access to health insurance. States collect outcomes information by conducting a survey of youth in foster care on or around their 17th birthday, also referred to as the baseline population. States will track these youth as they age and conduct a new outcome survey on or around the youth's 19th birthday; and again on or around the youth's 21st birthday, also referred to as the follow-up population. States will collect outcomes information on these older youth at ages 19 or 21 regardless of their foster care status or whether they are still receiving independent living services from the State. Depending on the size of the State's foster care youth population, some States may conduct a random sample of the baseline population of the 17-year-olds that participate in the outcomes survey so that they can follow a smaller group of youth as they age. All States will collect and report outcome information on a new baseline population cohort every three years.

Units of Response: Current and former youth in foster care

Type of Data: Administrative

Tribal Data: No

Periodicity: Annual

Demographic Indicators: Ethnicity;Race;Sex

SORN: Not Applicable

Data Use Agreement: https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/request-dataset.cfm

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

Granularity: Individual

Spatial: United States

Geocoding: FIPS Code

This is a list of the Foster Care and Adoption data elements as currently published in the Appendix to 45 CFR part 1355

.These are the data elements that are currently being reported and have been reported by title IV-E agencies since 1993.

Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

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.

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

The report (PDF)and data visualization below present national estimates related to children who experience time in foster care and who are adopted from the foster care system, relative to each Federal Fiscal Year shown. As states are permitted to resubmit AFCARS data, estimates may change over time. This reflects all AFCARS data received as of June 23, 2020 related to AFCARS reporting periods through September 30, 2019. The national dataset (XLSX)and state data tables (XLSX) are available for download as well. Metadata-only record linking to the original dataset. Open original dataset below.

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.

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.

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.

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

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Adoption and Foster Care Clinic

Title IV-E agencies—as of FFY 2015—are required to calculate and report annually their adoption savings, the methodology used to calculate the savings, how savings are spent, and on what services. In calculating adoption savings, title IV-E agencies must use a methodology specified by CB or may propose an alternative for approval. The methodology developed and issued by CB is referred to as “the CB Method.” This method can be applied either to a sample of cases or to the full universe of cases if the agency was able to access actual figures for needed information without conducting a special review. The statute also requires that the annual adoption savings information reported by state and tribal title IV-E agencies be posted on the CB website.

Units of Response: State, Tribe

Type of Data: Administrative

Tribal Data: Yes

COVID-19 Data: No

Periodicity: Annual

SORN: Not Applicable

Data Use Agreement: Not Applicable

Data Use Agreement Location: Not Applicable

Equity Indicators: Unavailable

Granularity: State;Tribe

Spatial: United States

Geocoding: State;Tribe

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Holy Family Services Adoption & Foster Care

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.