While the foster care population has dropped to about 368,000 children, each of those numbers represents a young life navigating a system where neglect is the leading cause of entry and over half still dream of reuniting with their families.
Key Takeaways
- On September 30, 2022, there were 367,996 children in foster care nationwide, a 6% decrease from 391,098 in 2021
- The foster care population has declined by 22% since its peak of 472,000 in 2000, reaching 367,996 by FY2022
- In FY2022, 206,383 children entered foster care, down 9% from 227,886 in FY2021
- 51% of children in foster care are male, comprising 187,500 boys out of 367,996 total in FY2022
- 49% of foster children are female, totaling 180,496 girls as of September 30, 2022
- White children make up 44% of foster care population (161,838 children) in FY2022
- 77% of children entering foster care in FY2022 had prior child welfare involvement
- Neglect is the primary reason for removal, accounting for 61% (125,898) of FY2022 entries
- Physical abuse led to 12% (24,766) of foster care entries in FY2022
- Non-relative foster family homes housed 44% (161,838) of foster children on 9/30/2022
- Relative foster family homes sheltered 27% (99,359) of the foster care population in FY2022
- Group homes and institutions held 7% (25,760) of children in FY2022
- Reunification occurred for 47% (99,585) of FY2022 exits
- Adoption finalized for 26% (55,050) of children exiting foster care in FY2022
- Guardianship led to 9% (19,069) of exits in FY2022
National foster care numbers have fallen significantly over the past two decades.
Demographics
- 51% of children in foster care are male, comprising 187,500 boys out of 367,996 total in FY2022
- 49% of foster children are female, totaling 180,496 girls as of September 30, 2022
- White children make up 44% of foster care population (161,838 children) in FY2022
- Black children represent 22% (80,959) of those in foster care nationally in FY2022
- Hispanic children account for 22% (80,959) of foster care entrants but 21% of population in FY2022
- Children aged 1-5 years old comprise the largest group at 24% (88,319) in foster care on 9/30/2022
- Infants under 1 year old make up 9% (33,120) of foster care population in FY2022
- 8% of foster children (29,440) are aged 0-1, with higher rates of maltreatment entry
- Multiracial children are 11% (40,480) of foster care population in FY2022
- American Indian/Alaska Native children are overrepresented at 2% (7,360) despite being 1% of child population
- 12% of foster children (44,160) identified as LGBTQ+ in recent surveys
- Children of color are 58% of foster care but 42% of general child population
- 14% of foster youth (51,520) have disabilities requiring special education
- Median age of foster children is 8.1 years as of FY2022
- Black children aged 0-5 are 25% of their age group in foster care vs 14% nationally
Demographics Interpretation
While the numbers present a grim portrait of systemic failure, the most damning statistic is not the near-even gender split or the median age of eight, but the fact that our system has become a grotesque funhouse mirror, distorting and magnifying the vulnerabilities of children of color, the very young, and LGBTQ+ youth until they are glaringly overrepresented in its reflection.
Exits and Outcomes
- Reunification occurred for 47% (99,585) of FY2022 exits
- Adoption finalized for 26% (55,050) of children exiting foster care in FY2022
- Guardianship led to 9% (19,069) of exits in FY2022
- 7% (14,832) of exits were due to emancipation or aging out in FY2022
- Average age at adoption exit was 7.5 years in FY2022
- 52% of adoptions were by non-relatives in FY2022, totaling 28,626 children
- Children with three or more exits averaged 18.2 months stay before final exit in FY2022
- 88% of children exiting to adoption had been in care over 12 months in FY2022
- Interstate compact placements involved 1% (3,680) of foster children in FY2022
- Post-permanency re-entry rate was 4.5% within 12 months for FY2022 exits
- Time to adoption averaged 30.1 months for children under 3 at entry in FY2022
- 92% of adopted foster children received Title IV-E adoption assistance in FY2022
- Emancipation rate for 18-21 year olds was 8% of exits (16,951)
- Transfer to another agency caused 5% (10,594) of exits in FY2022
- 62% of reunified children re-entered within 5 years per longitudinal studies
- Average adoption subsidy was $24,000 annually per child in 2022
- Youth aging out without permanency: 19,000 annually based on FY2022 data
- Death while in care: 1,790 children in FY2021 NCANDS data
Exits and Outcomes Interpretation
While the foster care system rightly celebrates nearly half of its children reuniting with their families, the sobering truth is that for every two kids adopted, one will re-enter care within five years, revealing a system that often trades one instability for another, and where true permanency remains a heartbreakingly fragile prize.
Maltreatment and Entry
- 77% of children entering foster care in FY2022 had prior child welfare involvement
- Neglect is the primary reason for removal, accounting for 61% (125,898) of FY2022 entries
- Physical abuse led to 12% (24,766) of foster care entries in FY2022
- Sexual abuse accounted for 7% (14,447) of removals into foster care in FY2022
- Parental drug abuse was a factor in 36% (74,298) of foster care entries in FY2022
- Caregiver inability to care due to substance abuse caused 14% (28,894) of entries
- In FY2022, 18% (37,149) of entries were due to caregiver incarceration
- Housing problems contributed to 8% (16,511) of foster care placements in FY2022
- Abandonment was cited in 7% (14,447) of removal reasons for FY2022 entries
- 55% of children (113,511) entered foster care from parental homes in FY2022
- 33% of foster entrants (68,106) were under age 6 in FY2022
- Drug-exposed infants at birth led to 15% (30,957) of entries in FY2022
- Domestic violence in home caused 11% (22,702) of foster placements in FY2022
- 25% of entries (51,596) involved alcohol abuse by caregiver in FY2022
- Emotional abuse accounted for 5% (10,319) of removal reasons in FY2022
- 19% (39,213) of children entered from relative care prior to foster placement
- Medical neglect led to 4% (8,255) of FY2022 foster care entries
Maltreatment and Entry Interpretation
The data paints a grim portrait of systemic failure, where over three-quarters of these children were already on the system's radar, primarily being rescued from the silent violence of neglect and the loud chaos of parental addiction, incarceration, and unstable homes long before finding a safer harbor.
Placements and Stability
- Non-relative foster family homes housed 44% (161,838) of foster children on 9/30/2022
- Relative foster family homes sheltered 27% (99,359) of the foster care population in FY2022
- Group homes and institutions held 7% (25,760) of children in FY2022
- Trial home visits accounted for 7% (25,760) of placements as of 9/30/2022
- 82% (179,262) of FY2022 exits were through reunification, adoption, or guardianship
- The median length of stay in non-relative foster homes was 15.2 months in FY2022
- 23% of children (84,639) experienced 3 or more placements in FY2022, indicating instability
- Sibling groups placed together comprised 68% of foster care placements in FY2022
- Pre-adoptive homes housed 26% (95,479) of children awaiting adoption in FY2022
- Emergency shelter care was used for 3% (11,040) of the foster population on 9/30/2022
- 67% of group home residents had mental health diagnoses in FY2022
- Foster home placement stability improved, with 60% staying under 6 months per placement
- 29% (106,519) of foster children were in kinship care on 9/30/2022
- Runaway episodes affected 9% (33,120) of foster youth in FY2022
- 75% of placements kept siblings together in same home in FY2022
- Independent living arrangements for 16+ youth: 2% (7,360) in FY2022
- Average number of placements per child was 2.7 in FY2022 for those exiting care
- Supervised independent living for 1,100 youth aged 18+ in FY2022
Placements and Stability Interpretation
This portrait of foster care is stitched together with threads of hope—like the 82% finding permanency and 68% of siblings kept together—but remains threadbare in places, as the 23% bouncing through three or more homes reminds us stability is still a privilege, not a promise.
Population and Trends
- On September 30, 2022, there were 367,996 children in foster care nationwide, a 6% decrease from 391,098 in 2021
- The foster care population has declined by 22% since its peak of 472,000 in 2000, reaching 367,996 by FY2022
- In FY2022, 206,383 children entered foster care, down 9% from 227,886 in FY2021
- Foster care exits totaled 211,883 in FY2022, slightly higher than entries, contributing to the caseload decline
- The average length of stay in foster care was 20.4 months in FY2022, compared to 19.9 months in FY2021
- 52% of children in foster care on 9/30/2022 had a goal of reunification
- National foster care caseload per 1,000 children aged 0-17 was 5.3 in 2022, varying from 2.4 in Vermont to 14.3 in West Virginia
- From 2000 to 2022, the foster care population decreased by over 100,000 children amid efforts to reduce unnecessary removals
- In 2021, 56 states and territories reported AFCARS data, covering 99% of the national foster care population
- Projected foster care population for FY2023 estimated at around 360,000 based on recent downward trends
- On September 30, 2021, 391,098 children were in foster care, with a 2% decline from prior year
- Foster care entries peaked at 267,000 in 2009, dropping to 206,383 by FY2022
- 56% of foster children have siblings also in care, affecting 205,000 children in FY2022
- National rate of children in foster care was 5.5 per 1,000 in 2021
- Urban areas account for 65% of foster care population despite 80% child population share
- On 9/30/2020, foster care population was 407,589, highest recent pre-decline
- Entries declined 12% from FY2017 peak of 270,000 to 206,383 in FY2022
Population and Trends Interpretation
While the welcome decline in foster care numbers suggests we're getting better at keeping families together, the fact that over 360,000 children still need a temporary home means our celebration must be a quiet one, tempered by the sobering reality that the system's success is measured in hundreds of thousands of childhoods interrupted.
System Resources
- Federal foster care funding under Title IV-E totaled $8.9 billion in FY2022
- Title IV-B funding provided $340 million for family preservation and support services in FY2022
- There were 432,000 licensed foster family homes nationwide as of 2021 estimates
- Average foster parent reimbursement was $675 per child per month in 2022, varying by state
- 40% of foster youth reported mental health needs, with only 32% receiving services in FY2022
- Caseload ratio for child welfare workers averaged 15:1 nationally in 2022
- 75% of states reported foster parent shortages in 2022 surveys
- Kinship navigator programs funded in 37 states with $100 million federal allocation in FY2022
- Prevention services under Title IV-E reached 50,000 families in FY2022 first year
- 60% of child welfare agencies used predictive analytics for risk assessment in 2022
- Chafee program served 120,000 former foster youth with $140 million in FY2022
- 4,500 child welfare workers needed nationwide per 2022 shortage reports
- Kinship care reimbursements under IV-E expanded to 48 states by 2022
- Mental health services gap: 164,000 foster youth untreated in 2022 estimates
- FFY 2022 Title IV-E claims processed for 600,000 child-months of care
- 50 states have quality improvement plans for foster care under PIPs in 2022
- Foster parent training completion rate averaged 85% in funded programs 2022
- Court Improvement Program grants totaled $30 million for 2022 fiscal year
System Resources Interpretation
While the government writes billion-dollar checks to repair a faltering system, the human truth remains stark: we have thousands of loving homes sitting empty because we won't pay parents enough to cover a child's basic costs, a shortage of workers drowning in caseloads, and a generation of kids watching their mental health needs go officially documented and then casually ignored.
Sources & References
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- Reference 3DATACENTERdatacenter.aecf.orgVisit source
- Reference 4CHILDTRENDSchildtrends.orgVisit source
- Reference 5AMERICANBARamericanbar.orgVisit source
- Reference 6FOSTERUSPLACEMENTSfosterusplacements.orgVisit source
- Reference 7CHILDRENSDEFENSEchildrensdefense.orgVisit source
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- Reference 9URBANurban.orgVisit source
- Reference 10CHAPINHALLchapinhall.orgVisit source
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- Reference 12SOCIALWORKERSsocialworkers.orgVisit source
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- Reference 14NCJFCJncjfcj.orgVisit source
- Reference 15ASPEaspe.hhs.govVisit source