Foster Care Facts

• Over 437,000 children and youth are in foster care.

• 45% of foster children live in non-relative foster family homes.

• 32% of foster children live in relative foster family homes.

• 23% of foster children live in institutions, group homes, trial and pre-adoptive homes.

• 118,000 children and youth in America are waiting to be adopted.

• Children in foster care wait 3-4 years or more to be adopted.

• On average, a child can spend almost 12 to 20 months in foster care.

• 10% of foster children spend more than 5 years in foster care.

• The average age of a foster child entering foster care is 7 to 8 years old.

• The average age of a foster child exiting foster care is 7 to 9 years old.

• 51% of children in foster care reunify with their parents or primary caregivers.

• 52% of foster children are adopted by a foster parent.

• More boys are in the foster care system than girls (52% to 48%).

• 44% of foster children are White, 23% African American, 21% Hispanic.

• 26% of children entering foster care are under the age of one.

• About 22% of youth in foster care are age 13 or older.

• 61% of children removed from their home due to abusive neglect.

• 34% of children removed from their homes due to parental drug abuse.

• 14% of children removed due to the inability of the caregiver to cope.

• 12% of children removed from their home due to physical abuse.