While the heart of adoption is about finding families for children, the numbers tell a stark story: with over 367,000 children entering foster care last year and an average wait of over two and a half years to find a permanent home through adoption, there’s a profound need for more people to consider opening their hearts and homes.
Key Takeaways
- In fiscal year 2022, there were 367,296 children who entered foster care in the United States
- As of September 30, 2022, the total number of children in foster care was 369,444
- 52% of children entering foster care in FY 2022 were due to neglect
- In FY 2022, 116,316 children were adopted from foster care
- Adoption finalization rate from foster care was 51% of exits in 2022
- Average time to adoption from foster care entry was 30.1 months in 2022
- In 2021, 52% of children in foster care were White
- Black children represented 23% of foster care population despite being 14% of child population in 2021
- 44% of foster children were age 0-5 years old in 2022
- 45% of adoptive parents from foster care were married couples
- Average age of adoptive parents from foster care was 44 years in 2022
- 28% of adoptive families had prior biological children
- 96% of post-adoption foster families reported high satisfaction after 5 years
- Adoption dissolution rate for foster adoptions was 2.5% after 10 years
- 85% of adopted foster youth graduated high school on time
Thousands of children need permanent, loving homes through foster care adoption.
Adoption Rates
- In FY 2022, 116,316 children were adopted from foster care
- Adoption finalization rate from foster care was 51% of exits in 2022
- Average time to adoption from foster care entry was 30.1 months in 2022
- 88% of foster adoptions in 2022 received post-adoption subsidies
- Interstate adoptions from foster care numbered 1,200 in FY 2022
- Adoption rates for children with special needs were 45% of total foster adoptions in 2022
- 62% of foster children under 9 were adopted in 2022 versus 12% of those over 18
- Title IV-E adoption assistance served 420,000 children in 2022
- Foster-to-adopt placements increased 8% from 2020 to 2022
- 76% of foster adoptions were by non-relative families in 2022
- Adoption disruption rate pre-finalization was 4.2% in 2022
- 15 states achieved over 60% adoption rates from foster care in 2022
- Average age at adoption from foster care was 7.8 years in FY 2022
- Kinship adoptions from foster care rose 12% to 25,000 in 2022
- 92% of foster adoptions involved children who had been in care over 12 months
- Federal adoption incentives paid $80 million to states in 2022
- Sibling group adoptions accounted for 18% of foster adoptions in 2022
- Adoption rates declined 2% for teens aged 13-17 in foster care from 2021-2022
- 55% of foster care adoptions were subsidized at $500+ monthly in 2022
- Private agency adoptions from foster care were 22% of total in 2022
- Post-adoption contact with birth parents occurred in 35% of foster adoptions in 2022
- Adoption from foster care wait time averaged 26 months for infants in 2022
- 7,500 foster youth aged out instead of being adopted in 2022
- Multi-racial children had 48% adoption rate from foster care in 2022
- 41% of foster children waiting for adoption had been in care 24+ months in 2022
- 58% of children adopted from foster care were male in FY 2022
Adoption Rates Interpretation
While there's heartening progress in the number of adoptions and crucial support like subsidies, the system still wrestles with painful inefficiencies, as seen in children waiting years for permanency and teens frequently aging out, reminding us that every statistic represents a childhood hanging in the balance.
Adoptive Families
- 45% of adoptive parents from foster care were married couples
- Average age of adoptive parents from foster care was 44 years in 2022
- 28% of adoptive families had prior biological children
- 65% of foster adoptions were by families with incomes over $75,000
- Single women headed 26% of foster adoptive homes in 2022
- 12% of adoptive parents were kinship relatives in non-foster adoptions
- 72% of adoptive parents were White in foster care adoptions 2022
- Average household size of adoptive families was 3.8 members
- 18% of foster adoptive parents had college degrees or higher
- 35% of adoptive families lived in suburban areas in 2022
- Male single parents adopted 5% of foster children in 2022
- 22% of adoptive parents were over age 50 at finalization
- LGBTQ+ couples adopted 4% of foster children in recent surveys
- 48% of foster adoptive families had 2+ adopted children
- Average subsidy for foster adoptions was $12,000 annually per child
- 61% of adoptive parents reported prior fostering experience
- Hispanic adoptive parents were 16% of foster adoptions in 2022
- 29% of adoptive families received therapeutic services post-adoption
- Black adoptive parents comprised 11% in 2022 foster adoptions
- 7% of foster adoptive parents were veterans
- Multi-child adoptions averaged 2.3 siblings per family in 2022
- 53% of adoptive mothers were employed full-time
- Rural adoptive families were 25% of total foster adoptions
- 14% of adoptive parents had disabilities themselves
- Faith-based organizations recruited 32% of foster adoptive parents
- 67% of foster adoptive families owned their homes
Adoptive Families Interpretation
It seems the typical foster-to-adopt parent is a married, middle-aged, suburban homeowner who came to adoption through fostering, a portrait that reveals both the deep commitment of ordinary families and the system's ongoing struggle to reflect the full diversity of the children it serves.
Child Demographics
- In 2021, 52% of children in foster care were White
- Black children represented 23% of foster care population despite being 14% of child population in 2021
- 44% of foster children were age 0-5 years old in 2022
- Hispanic children comprised 22% of foster care in 2022
- 13% of foster youth identified as LGBTQ+ in a 2021 survey
- 34% of foster children had reported mental health disorders in 2022
- American Indian/Alaska Native children were 2% of foster care but 1% of child pop
- 25% of foster children aged 17+ had intellectual/developmental disabilities
- Females made up 48% of foster care population in 2022
- 18% of foster children were in sibling groups of 3+
- Urban areas housed 60% of foster children in 2022
- 27% of foster youth experienced homelessness prior to entry
- Asian/Pacific Islander children were 1% of foster care in 2022
- 42% of foster children had a diagnosed medical condition in 2022
- Children from single-parent homes were 80% of foster entries
- 15% of foster youth had involvement with juvenile justice system
- Average household income for birth families was $35,000 for foster entrants
- 36% of foster children were multiracial in 2022
- Teens 13-18 comprised 25% of foster care population in 2022
- 12% of foster children had prenatal drug exposure documented
- Southern states had 40% higher Black foster child proportions
- 28% of foster children received SSI benefits
- 9% of foster youth were pregnant or parenting at age 17+
- 31% of foster children experienced physical abuse prior to entry
- Midwest region had oldest average foster child age at 8.2 years
Child Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a stark portrait of a system where the most vulnerable children—disproportionately young, poor, of color, and bearing significant health and trauma burdens—are gathered under its care, revealing not just who is in foster care, but a map of the societal fractures that put them there.
Foster Care Entry
- In fiscal year 2022, there were 367,296 children who entered foster care in the United States
- As of September 30, 2022, the total number of children in foster care was 369,444
- 52% of children entering foster care in FY 2022 were due to neglect
- The average age of children entering foster care in FY 2022 was 5.9 years
- 22% of foster care entries in 2022 were voluntary placements by parents
- In 2021, 205,000 children exited foster care, with 52% through adoption
- Foster care entry rates increased by 5% from 2020 to 2022 in urban areas
- 57% of children in foster care on 9/30/2022 had been there for less than 1 year
- Parental drug abuse was a factor in 36% of foster care removals in FY 2022
- The foster care population peaked at 443,000 in 2000 and has declined 17% since then
- In FY 2022, 42 states reported increases in foster care entries due to housing instability
- Average length of stay in foster care for entrants in 2022 was 20.3 months
- 11% of foster youth aged out without permanency in FY 2022
- Kinship care placements accounted for 28% of all foster care settings in 2022
- COVID-19 led to a 15% drop in foster care entries in 2020 before rebounding
- 23% of children in foster care have disabilities
- In 2022, California had the largest foster care population at 49,000 children
- Foster care recidivism rate was 10.2% within 12 months of reunification in 2022
- 67% of foster children are placed in non-relative foster family homes
- Entry rates for Black children were 1.8 times higher than white children in 2022
- 8% of foster care entries involved children under age 1 in FY 2022
- National foster care entry rate per 1,000 children was 5.6 in 2022
- 31% of exits from foster care were reunifications in FY 2022
- Foster care utilization rate increased 3% in rural areas from 2019-2022
- 14% of foster children experienced 3 or more placements in 2022
- Juvenile justice involvement preceded 7% of foster care entries in 2022
- 4.2 children per 1,000 entered foster care aged 0-5 in 2022
- Post-reunification re-entry rate was 12% after 24 months in 2022
- 29% of foster care beds were in group homes in 2022
- Interstate compact transfers affected 2,500 foster children in 2022
Foster Care Entry Interpretation
While a child's tragic need for a new family often begins with a parent's struggle, the story's hopeful ending is too often stalled by a system where the average child waits nearly two years in limbo before a court decree, family reunion, or the harsh reality of aging out.
Post-Adoption Outcomes
- 96% of post-adoption foster families reported high satisfaction after 5 years
- Adoption dissolution rate for foster adoptions was 2.5% after 10 years
- 85% of adopted foster youth graduated high school on time
- Mental health therapy was needed by 40% of post-adoptive foster families
- 78% of former foster adoptees reported stable attachments at age 18
- Annual post-adoption service costs averaged $1,200 per family in 2022
- 92% of foster adoptions remained intact after 4 years per 2022 data
- College enrollment for adopted foster youth was 65% versus 50% for aged-out
- 15% of post-adoptive families experienced contact with birth family positively
- Behavioral improvements seen in 70% of foster adoptees after 2 years
- Employment rate at age 24 for foster adoptees was 82%
- 88% of adoptive parents would adopt again from foster care
- PTSD rates dropped 25% post-adoption for foster children
- 72% of foster adoptees had no juvenile justice involvement by 18
- Average family income increased 40% post-adoption with subsidies
- 61% reported stronger sibling bonds post-adoption
- Homelessness risk reduced by 60% for adopted versus aged-out foster youth
- 94% of post-adoptive foster families received no respite care needs unmet
- Incarceration rates were 50% lower for adopted foster youth
- 79% of foster adoptees aged 21+ were financially independent
- Emotional well-being scores improved 35% at 3-year follow-up
- 83% of families accessed school supports successfully post-adoption
- Birth parent reintegration succeeded in 5% of disrupted adoptions
- 67% of teen adoptees from foster care reported improved self-esteem
- Medical cost savings of $5,000 per child annually post-stabilization
- 91% intact rate for kinship adoptions versus 89% non-kinship after 5 years
Post-Adoption Outcomes Interpretation
While the road from foster care to adoption is paved with real challenges—evident in the therapy needs and behavioral struggles—the overwhelming destination for these families is a remarkably stable and successful one, where love, support, and a modest investment yield profound human dividends in graduation rates, life stability, and well-being.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 2CHILDWELFAREchildwelfare.govVisit source
- Reference 3DATACENTERdatacenter.aecf.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CHILDTRENDSchildtrends.orgVisit source
- Reference 5AMERICANPROGRESSamericanprogress.orgVisit source
- Reference 6KIDSCOUNTDATAkidscountdata.orgVisit source
- Reference 7RURALHEALTHINFOruralhealthinfo.orgVisit source
- Reference 8OJJDPojjdp.govVisit source
- Reference 9APHSAaphsa.orgVisit source
- Reference 10ADOPTIONNETWORKadoptionnetwork.comVisit source
- Reference 11GRANDFAMILIESgrandfamilies.orgVisit source
- Reference 12ADOPTIONCOUNCILadoptioncouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 13CHAPINHALLchapinhall.orgVisit source
- Reference 14CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 15HUDUSERhuduser.govVisit source
- Reference 16SSAssa.govVisit source
- Reference 17GUTTMACHERguttmacher.orgVisit source
- Reference 18PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 19WILLIAMSINSTITUTEwilliamsinstitute.law.ucla.eduVisit source
- Reference 20VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 21CHRISTIANALLIANCEchristianalliance.orgVisit source
- Reference 22NACACnacac.orgVisit source
- Reference 23NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 24SENTENCINGPROJECTsentencingproject.orgVisit source