Foster Care Statistics

This factsheet provides the most recent national statistical estimates for children and youth in foster care from fiscal year (FY) 2014 and also provides earlier data from FY 2005 to allow for some estimate of trends over time. Data were obtained from the Federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). AFCARS collects information on all children in foster care for whom State child welfare agencies are responsible for placement, care, or supervision and on children who are adopted with public child welfare agency involvement. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/foster/