Behind the sobering statistic that Black children enter foster care at more than twice the rate of White children lies a system grappling with deep-seated racial disparities that shape every step of a child's journey, from entry to outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- In FY 2021, Black or African American children represented 23% of the total foster care population (106,941 children) while comprising only 14% of the U.S. child population
- In FY 2022, Hispanic children made up 22% of children in foster care (102,382) compared to 26% of the general child population, showing slight underrepresentation
- Native American/Alaska Native children accounted for 2% of foster care entries in FY 2020 (9,123 children) but only 1% of the child population, disproportionality index of 2.0
- In FY 2020 nationally, Black children had a foster care entry rate of 11.2 per 1,000 compared to 5.3 for White children
- Hispanic children entry rate FY 2021 was 6.8 per 1,000 vs 4.5 national average
- Native American entry rate FY 2019 15.4 per 1,000, 3x White rate of 5.1
- FY 2021 average length of stay for Black children in foster care was 22.3 months vs 20.1 for White
- Native American children FY 2020 median stay 24.6 months, longest among groups
- Hispanic children FY 2022 21.5 months average stay
- FY 2021 reunification rate for White children 52% vs 44% for Black
- Adoption rate FY 2020 Black 24% vs 28% White children exiting care
- Hispanic reunification FY 2022 48%, highest among groups
- FY 2021 post-exit homelessness risk for Black youth 25% higher than White
- Native American youth aging out FY 2020 40% experienced homelessness within 2 years
- Black former foster youth employment rate 1 year post-exit FY 2022 45% vs 62% White
Black children are vastly overrepresented in foster care compared to their share of the population.
Characteristics in Care
- FY 2021 average length of stay for Black children in foster care was 22.3 months vs 20.1 for White
- Native American children FY 2020 median stay 24.6 months, longest among groups
- Hispanic children FY 2022 21.5 months average stay
- 45% of Black children in foster care FY 2019 had 3+ placements, vs 32% White
- Kinship care for Black children FY 2021 28% vs 24% White
- California FY 2020 Black children 48% with multiple placements
- Texas FY 2021 Native American 52% in group homes vs 15% overall
- New York FY 2019 Black 55% kinship placements
- Illinois FY 2022 Black avg placements 4.2 vs White 2.8
- Michigan FY 2021 Hispanic stay 19.8 months
- FY 2021 Black children 41% in non-relative foster homes vs 35% White
- FY 2020 Native American 29% kinship care highest
- Multiracial children FY 2022 38% trial home visits
- FY 2019 group home placement Black 12% vs 8% White
- FY 2021 age 0-5 Black 52% of entries but longer stays
- Florida FY 2020 Black multiple placements 42%
- Ohio FY 2021 Native American stay 26.4 months
Characteristics in Care Interpretation
While the foster care system professes to be a colorblind safety net, these statistics reveal a damning, bureaucratic fingerprint where Black and Native American children are held longer, bounced more often, and are less frequently placed with family, proving that equity is still waiting for its day in court.
Disproportionality
- In FY 2021, Black or African American children represented 23% of the total foster care population (106,941 children) while comprising only 14% of the U.S. child population
- In FY 2022, Hispanic children made up 22% of children in foster care (102,382) compared to 26% of the general child population, showing slight underrepresentation
- Native American/Alaska Native children accounted for 2% of foster care entries in FY 2020 (9,123 children) but only 1% of the child population, disproportionality index of 2.0
- White children were 44% of foster care population in FY 2019 (206,754) versus 50% of child population, underrepresentation ratio of 0.88
- Asian children represented 1% of foster care (4,678 in FY 2021) while 5% of child population, severe underrepresentation index of 0.2
- In California FY 2020, Black children were 28% of foster care vs 6% child population, disproportionality of 4.67
- Texas 2021 data shows Latino children 42% in care vs 52% population, ratio 0.81
- New York FY 2019 Black children 53% foster care vs 15% population, index 3.53
- Illinois 2022 Black 64% in care vs 17% pop, disproportionality 3.76
- Michigan FY 2021 Black 40% care vs 14% pop, index 2.86
- FY 2018 Black children 76% of substantiated maltreatment victims in some states despite 14% pop
- FY 2023 preliminary data shows multiracial children 10% foster care vs 6% pop, index 1.67
- Pacific Islander children FY 2021 0.3% care vs 0.5% pop, underrep 0.6
- In FY 2017 national, Black disproportionality index 2.1 in entries
- Florida FY 2022 Black 24% care vs 16% pop, index 1.5
- Ohio FY 2021 Black 30% care vs 16% pop, index 1.88
- Pennsylvania FY 2020 Black 35% care vs 14% pop, index 2.5
- Georgia FY 2022 Black 52% care vs 32% pop, index 1.63
Disproportionality Interpretation
The system's ledger is a damning indictment of bias, where Black children are consistently over-scrutinized, Hispanic and Asian children are curiously undercounted, and white children are statistically safest—revealing not a crisis of family, but a chronic illness of inequity.
Entry Rates
- In FY 2020 nationally, Black children had a foster care entry rate of 11.2 per 1,000 compared to 5.3 for White children
- Hispanic children entry rate FY 2021 was 6.8 per 1,000 vs 4.5 national average
- Native American entry rate FY 2019 15.4 per 1,000, 3x White rate of 5.1
- FY 2022 Black removal rate from homes 2.1x higher than White
- In urban areas FY 2021, Black children entry rate 14.2 per 1,000 vs 6.1 White
- California Black entry rate FY 2020 18.5 per 1,000 vs 3.2 Latino
- Texas FY 2021 Hispanic entry 7.1 per 1,000, Black 12.3
- New York Black entry rate FY 2019 22.4 per 1,000
- Illinois FY 2022 Black entry 25.6 per 1,000 vs White 4.8
- Michigan Black entry FY 2021 16.7 per 1,000
- In FY 2021 Black children entry rate urban 13.8/1000 vs rural 8.2/1000
- FY 2019 Native Hawaiian entry rate 10.2 per 1000
- Multiracial children FY 2022 entry 8.5/1000 vs White 5.0
- FY 2020 neglect reports leading to entry Black 62% vs White 48%
- California FY 2019 Black removal rate 3.4x Latino
- Florida FY 2021 Black entry 10.9/1000
- Ohio Hispanic entry FY 2022 6.2/1000
Entry Rates Interpretation
These statistics reveal a disquieting national truth: the profound color of a child's skin remains, appallingly, one of the most powerful predictors of whether the state will sever them from their home.
Exits from Care
- FY 2021 reunification rate for White children 52% vs 44% for Black
- Adoption rate FY 2020 Black 24% vs 28% White children exiting care
- Hispanic reunification FY 2022 48%, highest among groups
- Native American adoption rate FY 2019 17%, lowest at 17% of exits
- Guardianship exits FY 2021 Black 15% vs 12% White
- Aging out rate FY 2020 Black 11% vs 9% White
- California FY 2020 Black reunification 38% vs Latino 55%
- Texas FY 2021 Hispanic adoption 26%
- New York Black adoption FY 2019 19%
- Illinois reunification Black FY 2022 35% vs White 58%
- FY 2020 adoption exit White 30% vs Black 22%
- Reunification Hispanic FY 2021 50% vs Native American 42%
- FY 2022 guardianship Black 16%
- Runaway exits FY 2019 Black 5% vs White 3%
- FY 2021 time to adoption Black 32 months vs White 26
- Florida Black reunification FY 2022 45%
- Ohio adoption Native FY 2021 15%
Exits from Care Interpretation
While these statistics parade as neutral numbers, they whisper a relentless truth: the foster care system, despite its best intentions, often functions as a heartbreaking prism, refracting a single beam of hope into a spectrum of unequal outcomes based on a child's race.
Post-Care Outcomes
- FY 2021 post-exit homelessness risk for Black youth 25% higher than White
- Native American youth aging out FY 2020 40% experienced homelessness within 2 years
- Black former foster youth employment rate 1 year post-exit FY 2022 45% vs 62% White
- Hispanic youth postsecondary enrollment post-care FY 2019 28% vs 35% White
- Incarceration rate within 5 years post-exit Black 33% FY 2021
- California Black youth post-exit poverty 68% FY 2020
- Texas Native American youth homelessness 45% post-exit FY 2021
- New York Black youth education attainment post-care 22% college grad FY 2019
- Illinois Hispanic youth employment 52% post-exit FY 2022
- FY 2022 Black youth post-exit mental health services use 62% vs 48% White
- Native American post-exit substance abuse 35% FY 2020
- Hispanic youth high school completion post-care 72% FY 2021
- FY 2019 Black incarceration post-exit 28%
- Multiracial youth homelessness 22% post-exit FY 2022
- Florida Black post-exit employment 48% FY 2021
- Pennsylvania Native youth poverty 75% post-exit FY 2020
Post-Care Outcomes Interpretation
The system is an expert at taking kids from bad beginnings and turning them into predictable statistics, with the odds stacked especially high against youth of color who face an exhausting gauntlet of homelessness, poverty, and incarceration the moment they’re told they’re on their own.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2CHILDWELFAREchildwelfare.govVisit source
- Reference 3CWDAcwda.orgVisit source
- Reference 4DFPSdfps.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 5OCFSocfs.ny.govVisit source
- Reference 6DCFSdcfs.illinois.govVisit source
- Reference 7MICHIGANmichigan.govVisit source
- Reference 8CHILDTRENDSchildtrends.orgVisit source
- Reference 9URBANurban.orgVisit source
- Reference 10CHAPINHALLchapinhall.orgVisit source
- Reference 11CWLAcwla.orgVisit source
- Reference 12NYCwww1.nyc.govVisit source
- Reference 13ILLINOISillinois.govVisit source
- Reference 14MYFLFAMILIESmyflfamilies.comVisit source
- Reference 15JFSjfs.ohio.govVisit source
- Reference 16DHSdhs.pa.govVisit source
- Reference 17DFCSdfcs.georgia.govVisit source
- Reference 18HHShhs.govVisit source