With a number greater than the entire population of some cities, over 367,000 children spent last year’s final day in the foster care system, a reality shaped by heartbreaking statistics that reveal both the vast scale and the deeply personal stories behind these numbers.
Key Takeaways
- In fiscal year 2022, there were 367,996 children in foster care on the last day of the year
- As of September 30, 2022, 52% of children in foster care were male and 48% were female
- The average age of children in foster care at entry was 7.6 years in FY2022
- In FY2022, 56% of children entering care were White
- 22% of children in foster care were Black or African American in FY2022
- Hispanic children made up 22% of foster care population in FY2022
- In FY2022, neglect was the primary reason for removal for 61% of children entering foster care
- Drug abuse by caregiver accounted for 35% of removal reasons in FY2022
- Physical abuse led to 12% of foster care entries in FY2022
- In FY2022, 44% of children were placed in non-relative foster family homes
- Kinship foster homes cared for 32% of children in FY2022
- Group homes housed 9% of foster youth in FY2022
- In FY2022, 51% of children exiting foster care were reunified with parents or guardians
- Adoption was the exit reason for 25% of children leaving care in FY2022
- Guardianship led to 12% of exits in FY2022
In 2022, over 350,000 children in the United States needed foster family care.
Child Demographics
- In FY2022, 56% of children entering care were White
- 22% of children in foster care were Black or African American in FY2022
- Hispanic children made up 22% of foster care population in FY2022
- 1% of foster children identified as American Indian/Alaska Native in FY2022
- Asian children comprised 1% of those in foster care in FY2022
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander children were 0.2% of foster care in FY2022
- Two or more races accounted for 9% of foster children in FY2022
- Unknown race/ethnicity was 3% in FY2022 foster care data
- 77% of children entering foster care in FY2022 were ages 0-17 with specific breakdowns showing 35% under 6
- Boys entered foster care at a rate of 52% vs 48% girls in FY2022
- Black children were overrepresented in foster care at 22% while being 14% of child population
- American Indian children enter foster care at 1.6 times the rate of white children
- 12% of foster children had a reported disability in FY2022
- Emotional disturbance was the most common disability among foster youth at 8% in recent data
- 3% of foster children had intellectual disabilities reported in FY2022
- Physical health issues affected 2% of foster entrants in FY2022
- 58% of foster children were school-aged (6-17) in FY2022
- LGBTQ+ youth are 2.5 times more likely to enter foster care per Chapin Hall studies
- Hispanic foster children grew 15% in population from 2012-2022
- Multiracial children increased to 9% of foster care from 5% in 2000
Child Demographics Interpretation
This sobering mosaic of American childhood reveals a system where the most vulnerable—our youngest, our Black and Indigenous neighbors, and LGBTQ+ youth—are disproportionately called upon to navigate the fractures in our social fabric, their overrepresentation a stark measure of our collective failings.
Foster Care Population
- In fiscal year 2022, there were 367,996 children in foster care on the last day of the year
- As of September 30, 2022, 52% of children in foster care were male and 48% were female
- The average age of children in foster care at entry was 7.6 years in FY2022
- In FY2022, 20% of children entering foster care were under 1 year old
- 55% of children in foster care in FY2022 had a length of stay less than 1 year
- On average, children remained in foster care for 16.8 months in FY2022
- In 2021, 206,611 children entered foster care nationwide
- 171,338 children exited foster care in FY2022
- The foster care population decreased by 2% from FY2021 to FY2022
- 42 states reported a decrease in foster care population in FY2022 compared to prior year
- In FY2021, California had the largest foster care population with 49,304 children
- Texas reported 21,016 children in foster care on September 30, 2021
- New York had 14,594 children in foster care in FY2021
- Florida's foster care population was 22,399 in FY2021
- Pennsylvania had 15,302 children in foster care in FY2021
- In FY2020, the national foster care entry rate was 2.6 per 1,000 children in the population
- 91% of children in foster care were covered by Medicaid in recent surveys
- Approximately 400,000 children were in foster care in the US as of 2020 estimates
- Foster care utilization rate was 5.5 per 1,000 children nationally in 2020
- In 2019, 32% of foster children were in care for 2 years or longer
- The median length of stay in foster care was 13.5 months in FY2020
- 25 states had over 5,000 children in foster care in FY2021
- Urban areas accounted for 58% of foster care entries in recent data
- Rural foster care populations grew by 10% in some regions from 2010-2020
- 6% of foster children were in group homes or institutions in FY2022
- Kinship care placements increased to 32% of all foster care in FY2022
- Non-relative foster family homes housed 44% of children in FY2022
- Trial home visits accounted for 4% of placements in FY2022
- Shelters represented less than 1% of foster care placements in FY2022
Foster Care Population Interpretation
While we can mathematically note a slight decline in numbers, the sobering reality is that over a quarter-million young lives still enter a labyrinthine system annually, where the average child is a second-grader caught in a 17-month bureaucratic limbo, and the true measure of progress isn't a 2% drop but the 32% still waiting years for a permanent home.
Outcomes and Exits
- In FY2022, 51% of children exiting foster care were reunified with parents or guardians
- Adoption was the exit reason for 25% of children leaving care in FY2022
- Guardianship led to 12% of exits in FY2022
- 9% of youth aged out of foster care in FY2022
- Emancipation rate for 18+ was 6% of total exits in FY2022
- 3% exited to another planned permanent living arrangement in FY2022
- Median time to adoption was 25.8 months in FY2022
- 90% of adoptions from foster care were subsidized in FY2021
- Recurrence of maltreatment within 6 months post-reunification was 7% in NCANDS 2021
- 20% of youth aging out had no high school diploma per Chapin Hall
- Homelessness affected 20-25% of aged-out youth within 2 years
- 40% of foster alumni experience PTSD rates higher than veterans
- College enrollment for foster youth is 20% vs 60% general population
- Employment rate for aged-out youth at 12 months was 52% in studies
- 25% of US foster youth age out annually without family support
- Sibling separations occurred in 70% of foster placements affecting outcomes
- 85% of reunifications happened within 12-24 months of entry
- Black children had lower adoption rates at 15% of exits vs 30% white
- Time to guardianship averaged 21 months in FY2022
- Interstate adoptions from foster care numbered 1,500 in FY2022
Outcomes and Exits Interpretation
While the foster care system's heartening successes—like over 85% of children finding permanency through reunification, adoption, or guardianship—are real, the sobering statistics on racial disparity, sibling separation, and the steep cliffs our youth face upon aging out reveal a system that must celebrate its wins while urgently mending its fractured safety nets.
Placement Settings
- In FY2022, 44% of children were placed in non-relative foster family homes
- Kinship foster homes cared for 32% of children in FY2022
- Group homes housed 9% of foster youth in FY2022
- Institutional settings were used for 6% in FY2022
- 4% were on trial home visits in FY2022
- Less than 1% were in shelters or awaiting placement in FY2022
- 29% of placements changed at least once within 12 months in recent data
- Average number of placements per child was 2.4 in FY2022 for those exiting
- 82% of children experienced 3 or fewer placements during their stay in FY2022
- Urban placements were 58% foster family homes vs rural higher kinship
- 56% of kinship caregivers were licensed in FY2022
- Congregate care decreased 20% from 2012 to 2022 nationally
- In Texas, 40% of placements were kinship in 2021
- 15% of foster youth aged out without permanency in FY2022
- Specialized foster care for medically fragile was 2% of placements
- 70% of placements were with same-race caregivers where known in FY2021
- Emergency placements initially used for 12% of entries in FY2022
- Independent living arrangements for 18+ youth were 1% in FY2022
- Runaway status affected 3% of placement tracking in FY2022
Placement Settings Interpretation
While the system shows heartening progress with kin stepping up and fewer kids in institutions, the persistent churn of nearly a third of children bouncing between homes reveals a machine still sputtering to find stable ground for everyone.
Reasons for Removal
- In FY2022, neglect was the primary reason for removal for 61% of children entering foster care
- Drug abuse by caregiver accounted for 35% of removal reasons in FY2022
- Physical abuse led to 12% of foster care entries in FY2022
- Sexual abuse was cited in 7% of removals in FY2022
- Caregiver inability to cope was 10% of entry reasons in FY2022
- Abandonment or relinquishment caused 5% of foster care entries in FY2022
- Housing-related issues contributed to 7% of removals in recent data
- 76% of entries were voluntary placements in FY2022
- Parental incarceration led to 12% of foster care entries per NCANDS 2021
- Domestic violence was a factor in 15% of maltreatment reports leading to removal
- Alcohol abuse by caregiver in 28% of substantiated maltreatment cases for foster entry
- Mental health issues of caregiver in 19% of removal cases FY2021
- 62% of children under 1 entered due to neglect in FY2022
- Teens aged 13-17 had 25% of entries due to caregiver inability
- Black children had higher rates of removal for abuse at 18% vs national 12%
- In California, neglect was 70% of removal reasons in 2021
- Nationally, 1 in 5 removals involved multiple maltreatment types in FY2022
- Prenatal drug exposure led to 3% direct entries but higher overall impact
- Poverty alone is not a removal reason but correlates with 40% of neglect cases
Reasons for Removal Interpretation
While neglect wears the tragic crown at 61%, these statistics reveal the grim and often intertwined conspiracies of addiction, poverty, and systemic failure that dethrone parents and exile children from their homes.
System Resources
- In FY2022, federal foster care funding totaled $8.7 billion through Title IV-E
- States spent an average of $25,000 per child annually on foster care in 2021
- There were 216,300 licensed foster family homes nationwide in 2020
- Foster parent recruitment costs averaged $2,000 per new home per state data
- 40% of foster homes were kinship unlicensed receiving lower reimbursements
- National kinship navigator programs funded $15 million federally in 2022
- Average monthly maintenance payment was $752 per child in FY2021
- Title IV-B funding was $340 million for family preservation in FY2022
- 2,100 child welfare workers employed per 100,000 children in population avg
- Caseloads averaged 15 children per worker in optimal states
- Training hours required for foster parents averaged 27 hours initial
- 60% of states use trauma-informed training for foster parents
- Federal adoption incentives paid $7,200 per child in FY2022 averages
- Chafee program funded $140 million for aged-out youth in FY2022
- 75% of child welfare budget is state/local funded beyond federal
- Court improvement grants totaled $30 million to 52 jurisdictions in 2022
- Quality improvement centers served 20 states with specialized training
- EBT cards for kinship caregivers piloted in 10 states with $10M funding
System Resources Interpretation
We spend billions to support a system where the most natural solution—a family—is often the least funded, proving once again that bureaucracy is the art of making the difficult expensive and the simple, complicated.