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.

In 2022, about 368,530 children in the United States were living in foster care. This is a sharp decrease from the previous year, when about 407,318 children were living in foster care nationwide.

Statistics on youth in foster care reported in compliance with Local Law 145 amended by City Council. Cells with one to five youth are not shown to protect anonymity.

1. Scope and object of statistics: All child welfare projects based on the Child and Youth Welfare and Rights Protection Act are included in the statistics.2. Standard time for statistics: The dynamic data is based on the facts from January to March for the first quarter, April to June for the second quarter, July to September for the third quarter, and October to December for the fourth quarter. Static data is based on the facts at the end of March, June, September, and December.3. Classification standards: Divided according to the "number of foster families," "number of foster children and youth," and "foster care expenses."4. For detailed information and descriptions, please refer to the "Taichung City Government Statistics Network Information - Query of Public Office Statistics Plans for Various Agencies."

In 2022, about 25,338 children under one-year-old in the United States were living in foster care. In that same year, about 20,163 children aged 16 years old were living in foster care nationwide.

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.

In 2022, around 18,144 children in California who were the victims of child abuse were in foster care, the most out of any state. Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Indiana rounded out the five leading states for children in foster care in that year.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Foster Care Solutions

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.

Statistics on government-issued personal identification for youth in foster care reported in compliance with Local Law 48 passed by City Council in 2014

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 2021, the majority of children living in foster care in the United States were living in foster homes. In that year, about 171,627 children were living in a foster family home with people to whom they were not related.

Increase the percentage of children who experience two or fewer foster home placement settings within a 12 month period from 72.9% in 2013 to 83.3% by 2019.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Family Extension Foster Care Inc.

This dataset shows the monthly count of new and completed investigations conducted by Child Welfare Services, broken down by type and outcome. The dataset includes statistics for both traditional Investigation Responses and for Alternative Responses. An Alternative Response is intended to increase engagement and service usage through a collaborative partnership with families in cases where there is no Child Protective Services history and the referral suggests low risk of harm to the child. A completed Investigation Response can have one of three outcomes: (1) allegation indicated -- credible evidence found which has not been satisfactorily refuted; (2) allegation ruled out – credible evidence found that the abuse did not occur; and (3) allegation unsubstantiated – insufficient evidence found to support a finding of indicated or ruled out abuse. This dataset is updated quarterly.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of Foster Care Alumni of America

Provide statistics for foster homes for drug detection dogs and volunteer applications for socialization training.

In 2021, there were slightly more boys in foster care in the United States than girls. In that year, about 191,037 children in foster care were female, representing a little less than half of the total children in foster care.

Market Size statistics on the Adoption & Child Welfare Services industry in the US