Imagine a city where every single resident is a child waiting for a family—with over 391,000 children in foster care in the U.S. alone, the system is a complex landscape of heartbreak and hope that demands our attention.
Key Takeaways
- In FY 2022, there were 391,098 children in foster care in the United States on September 30
- As of FY 2021, the foster care population had decreased by 3% from the previous year to 407,385 children
- Between FY 2018 and FY 2022, the number of children entering foster care annually averaged around 216,000
- Neglect accounted for 76% of reasons for foster care removal in FY 2022
- Drug abuse by parents was a factor in 36% of foster care entries in FY 2021
- Physical abuse led to 13% of removals into foster care in FY 2022
- 55% of children in foster care were white in FY 2022
- Black children comprised 21% of foster care population but 14% of child population in 2021
- Hispanic children were 24% of foster youth in FY 2022
- Non-relative foster family homes 34% of placements in FY 2022
- Group homes declined to 5% of foster placements by FY 2022
- Institutional care 6% for youth over 13 in FY 2021
- 35% of 55% of foster children had mental health disorders diagnosed in 2021
- PTSD prevalence 25% among foster youth vs 6% general population in 2022
- Depression rates 20% higher in foster children aged 11-18 in FY 2021
The foster care population is large but declining, with most children entering due to neglect.
Demographics
- 55% of children in foster care were white in FY 2022
- Black children comprised 21% of foster care population but 14% of child population in 2021
- Hispanic children were 24% of foster youth in FY 2022
- Native American children overrepresented at 2% in care vs 1% population in 2021
- Asian children underrepresented at 1% in foster care in FY 2022
- 51% of foster children were male in FY 2021
- Females were 49% of foster care population in FY 2022
- Children aged 1-5 years made up 26% of foster care in 2021
- Teens 13-17 were 27% of foster youth in FY 2022
- Infants under 1 year: 11% of foster care population in 2021
- 75% of foster children identified as non-Hispanic in FY 2022 surveys
- Multiracial children 9% of foster care in FY 2021
- Urban foster children 52% vs rural 20% in 2022 data
- Southern states had 40% of national foster youth in FY 2021
- LGBTQ+ youth estimated at 15-30% of foster care population in 2021
- Children with disabilities 15-20% higher in foster care than general population in 2022
- Sibling groups 33% of foster children entered with siblings in FY 2022
- First-generation immigrants 5% of foster youth in 2021
- Overweight/obesity rates 25% higher in foster kids aged 2-18 in 2022
- Foster youth with IEPs 20% vs 14% general population in 2021
- Homeless origins for 20% of foster teens in FY 2022
- Parental military service linked to 3% of foster demographics in 2021
- English language learners 12% of foster children in FY 2022
- 42% of foster children lived in kinship homes in FY 2021
Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a portrait of a system disproportionately filled with the very young and teenagers, where children of color are overrepresented and under-resourced, LGBTQ+ youth and those with disabilities are strikingly common, and the simple stability of keeping siblings together or placing them with family remains an ongoing battle against a tide of inequity.
Health and Mental Health
- 35% of 55% of foster children had mental health disorders diagnosed in 2021
- PTSD prevalence 25% among foster youth vs 6% general population in 2022
- Depression rates 20% higher in foster children aged 11-18 in FY 2021
- 75% of foster infants exposed to 5+ adverse experiences pre-entry in 2022
- Dental care unmet for 30% of foster children annually in 2021
- Obesity rates 29% in foster youth vs 20% peers in 2022 studies
- Developmental delays in 40% of foster infants under 12 months in FY 2021
- Suicide attempt rates 4x higher for foster youth in 2021
- ADHD diagnosed in 18-22% of foster school-age children in 2022
- Substance use disorders 50% higher by age 18 in former foster youth 2021
- Vision uncorrected in 25% of foster children per annual exams 2022
- 60% of foster youth experienced 3+ traumas before age 18 in 2021
- Access to therapy within 30 days post-entry only 45% in FY 2022
- Asthma prevalence 15% higher in foster kids due to housing instability 2021
- Prenatal alcohol exposure in 10% of foster infants leading to FASD in 2022
- Hospitalization rates 32% higher for foster children under 6 in FY 2021
- Anxiety disorders in 23% of foster adolescents in 2022 surveys
- Immunization rates lagged 20% behind peers in foster care 2021
- Sexual abuse history in 20% correlating with chronic health issues 2022
- Telehealth mental health visits increased 300% for foster youth post-2020
Health and Mental Health Interpretation
While a PowerPoint slide might call this a "suite of systemic issues," the reality is that the foster care system is too often a conveyor belt of trauma, where the "cure" tragically fails to heal the profound wounds it was meant to address.
Outcomes and Exits
- 47% reunified with family within 12 months in FY 2022
- Adoption exits 25% of total discharges from foster care in FY 2021
- Guardianship exits 13% with relatives in FY 2022
- Aging out without permanency 7% but 20,000 youth annually in 2021
- Recurrence of maltreatment post-reunification 15% within 6 months 2022
- High school graduation 50-60% for foster youth vs 85% peers in 2021
- Homelessness 20-25% within 2 years post-aging out in 2022 studies
- College enrollment 10% for aged-out foster youth vs 60% general in 2021
- Incarceration rates 50% by age 25 for former foster youth in 2022
- Early parenthood 3x higher with 51% of females parenting by 21 in 2021
- Employment below 50% full-time for aged-out at age 24 in FY 2022
- Poverty rates 33% for former foster youth vs 10% general adults 2021
- Adoption rates for Black children 15% lower than white in FY 2022
- Sibling adoptions together only 40% of cases in 2021
- Post-adoption disruption 10-16% within 10 years per 2022 data
- Extended foster care to 21 enrolled 30% of eligible youth in FY 2021
- Medicaid coverage lifelong for aged-out in most states 2022
- Tuition waivers used by 20% of foster alumni in college 2021
- Mental health treatment continuation post-exit only 35% in 2022
- 60% of exits to reunification had services less than 12 months in FY 2022
Outcomes and Exits Interpretation
The foster care system, in its patchwork attempt to be a safety net, manages to both catch and release our youth into a world where the odds of a stable, successful life feel like a cruel game of chance they didn't agree to play.
Placements
- Non-relative foster family homes 34% of placements in FY 2022
- Group homes declined to 5% of foster placements by FY 2022
- Institutional care 6% for youth over 13 in FY 2021
- 28% of children experienced 3+ placements in first year in 2021
- Median number of placements per child was 2.5 in FY 2022
- Kinship care stability 70% less placement changes than non-kin in 2021
- 15% of foster children in supervised independent living in FY 2022
- Emergency shelter use dropped to 2% by FY 2021
- Out-of-state placements 1% but 12% for tribal youth in 2022
- Placement with siblings maintained for 65% of groups in FY 2021
- Foster home disruptions highest at 27% for ages 11-15 in 2021
- Therapeutic foster care used for 10% of children with high needs in FY 2022
- Motel/hotel temporary placements 3% during COVID in 2020
- 40% of placements were with non-relative foster parents licensed in 2021
- Placement stability improved 10% with FFPSA implementation by 2022
- 22% of foster youth changed schools due to placement moves in 2021
- Runaways from placements 12 per 1,000 foster youth annually in FY 2022
- 85% of kinship caregivers unlicensed but approved in FY 2021
- Specialized placements for sex-trafficked youth 0.5% in 2022
- Average placement duration 20.4 months for those exiting to adoption in FY 2022
Placements Interpretation
While the statistics paint a picture of a system striving for stability—with kinship care proving a powerful anchor and group homes thankfully shrinking—the persistent churn of multiple placements for so many children, especially pre-teens, reveals we’re still failing to provide the first and most fundamental therapy: a reliable home.
Population Statistics
- In FY 2022, there were 391,098 children in foster care in the United States on September 30
- As of FY 2021, the foster care population had decreased by 3% from the previous year to 407,385 children
- Between FY 2018 and FY 2022, the number of children entering foster care annually averaged around 216,000
- In 2021, approximately 19 children per 1,000 were in foster care nationwide
- States like West Virginia had the highest foster care rate at 15.1 per 1,000 children in 2020
- California had the largest foster care population with over 50,000 children in FY 2022
- From 2000 to 2021, the foster care population declined by 40% nationally
- In FY 2020, 29 states saw increases in foster care caseloads due to COVID-19 effects
- Youth aged 13-18 made up 25% of the foster care population in FY 2022
- Infants under 1 year old constituted 10% of new foster care entries in FY 2021
- The median length of stay in foster care was 14.9 months in FY 2022
- Over 50% of foster children remained in care for less than 12 months in FY 2021
- In 2022, 109,000 children aged out of foster care without permanent families
- Black children represented 23% of the foster care population while being 14% of the child population in 2021
- Hispanic children were 22% of foster care entries in FY 2022 despite being 26% of the general child population
- Urban areas accounted for 55% of foster care placements in FY 2020
- Tribal children had a foster care rate of 16.2 per 1,000 in 2021
- In FY 2022, 56% of children in foster care were male
- Siblings entering foster care together were 32% of entries in FY 2021
- Repeat entries into foster care affected 10% of children in FY 2022
- In 2020, foster care spending reached $8.4 billion federally
- Private agency placements grew to 27% of foster care in FY 2021
- Kinship care placements increased to 33% of all foster care in FY 2022
- Group homes housed 6% of foster youth in FY 2021
- Institutional settings declined to 7% of placements by FY 2022
- Trial home visits occurred for 24% of children in care in FY 2021
- Post-permanency reentries rose 12% from 2017-2021
- Interstate compacts moved 15,000 foster children annually in 2022
- COVID-19 reduced foster care entries by 12% in 2020
- Projected foster care population to drop below 350,000 by 2025
Population Statistics Interpretation
The foster care system is a statistical hydra: even as its overall numbers shrink, its persistent and disproportionate realities—from the heartbreaking number of youth aging out alone to the stark overrepresentation of children of color—demand that we celebrate the trendline without ever forgetting the human stories behind every data point.
Reasons for Entry
- Neglect accounted for 76% of reasons for foster care removal in FY 2022
- Drug abuse by parents was a factor in 36% of foster care entries in FY 2021
- Physical abuse led to 13% of removals into foster care in FY 2022
- Sexual abuse contributed to 8% of foster care entries in FY 2021
- Caregiver inability to care was cited in 9% of cases in FY 2022
- Domestic violence was a factor in 12% of removals in FY 2020
- Abandonment accounted for 5% of foster care entries in FY 2021
- Prenatal drug exposure affected 28% of infants entering care in 2022
- Mental health issues of caregivers led to 15% of entries in FY 2022
- Housing problems contributed to 7% of removals in FY 2021
- Incarceration of parents was involved in 11% of cases in FY 2022
- Child behavior problems accounted for 6% of entries in FY 2020
- Relinquishment due to disability was 2% of entries in FY 2021
- Death of caregiver led to 3% of foster care placements in FY 2022
- Economic poverty directly cited in 4% but underlying in 30% of cases in 2021
- Alcohol abuse by parents in 18% of removal petitions in FY 2022
- Multiple reasons overlapped in 60% of foster care entry cases in FY 2021
- Opioid crisis linked to 20% increase in foster entries 2012-2021
- COVID-19 related neglect rose 15% in entries during 2020
- Truancy and school issues preceded 8% of entries in FY 2022
- Parental hospitalization contributed to 5% of entries in 2021
- Juvenile delinquency involvement in 4% of foster care removals FY 2022
- Foster care entry rates highest for children 0-5 years at 45% in FY 2021
- White children had neglect rates of 70% for entries in FY 2022
- 52% of Black children entered due to neglect in FY 2021
- 65% of Hispanic children in care for neglect reasons in 2022
Reasons for Entry Interpretation
While these statistics present a heartbreaking taxonomy of adult failure, they ultimately paint one clear picture: the overwhelming majority of children are removed from home not because of the dramatic evil we fear most, but because of the quiet, persistent collapse of the basic support systems meant to nurture them.
Sources & References
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