AFCARS Report 2024 -Updated May 9th 2025
This blog provides an explanation of the FY 2024 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data, offering insights into foster care trends nationwide. It reviews demographics, reasons for entry, time in care, placement settings, and adoption outcomes. The post highlights decreases in foster care numbers, the ongoing challenges of trauma, and the urgent need for stable homes. It positions AFCARS data as a tool for policy, advocacy, and community action to support vulnerable children.
Updated: Aug 28, 2026
FY 2022 AFCARS Foster Care Data
The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and The AFCARS Report
The AFCARS report, which includes the most up-to-date data as of May 2024 compiled by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is a comprehensive analysis of adoption and foster care in the United States. It offers a detailed look into the demographic trends, placement durations, and outcomes for children within the foster care system.
This report serves as a vital tool for policymakers, social workers, and advocacy groups, providing them with essential data to assess the effectiveness of current policies and interventions. By identifying trends and patterns, stakeholders can better understand the challenges facing foster children and develop targeted strategies to address them.
Understanding the AFCARS report goes beyond simply crunching numbers; it's about grasping the human stories behind the statistics. It highlights the urgent need for stable, loving homes for the thousands of children in foster care, while also showcasing the successes of adoption and reunification efforts.
While the report may reveal sobering realities, it also offers hope. It demonstrates the progress made in finding permanent placements for children and underscores the importance of ongoing support for foster families.
Ultimately, the AFCARS report serves as a call to action, urging communities to support vulnerable children and youth. By harnessing the insights gleaned from this report, we can work towards a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.
Numbers at a Glance
| Fiscal Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Number in foster care on September 30 of the FY | 437,010 | 425,974 | 407,332 | 391,641 | 368,530 |
| The number entered foster care during the FY | 263,579 | 252,198 | 216,450 | 206,867 | 186,602 |
| Number of exited foster care during the FY | 252,231 | 250,024 | 223,918 | 214,542 | 201,372 |
| Number served by the foster care system during the FY | 689,200 | 675,926 | 631,192 | 606,145 | 569,879 |
| The number waiting to be adopted on September 30 of the FY | 126,090 | 123,787 | 117,473 | 113,754 | 108,877 |
| The number waiting to be adopted for whom parental rights (for all living parents) were terminated as of the last day of the FY | 71,768 | 71,863 | 63,827 | 65,030 | 64,561 |
| Number adopted with public child welfare agency involvement during the FY | 63,094 | 66,210 | 57,889 | 54,240 | 53,665 |
Children in Foster Care on September 30, 2022 - N=368,530
Sex |
Percent | Number | Age as of September 30th | Years | ||
| Male | 51% | 188,190 | Mean | 8.2 | ||
| Female | 49% | 180,253 | Median | 7.0 | ||
Age as of September 30th |
Percent | Number |
Most Recent Placement Setting |
Percent | Number | |
| Less than 1 Year | 7% | 25,338 | Pre-Adoptive Home | 5% | 16,825 | |
| 1 Year | 8% | 31,157 | Foster Family Home (Relative) | 34% | 123,294 | |
| 2 Years | 7% | 27,537 | Foster Family Home (Non-Relative) | 44% | 161,864 | |
| 3 Years | 7% | 24,132 | Group Home | 4% | 14,948 | |
| 4 Years | 6% | 21,319 | Institution | 5% | 18,780 | |
| 5 Years | 5% | 19,738 | Supervised Independent Living | 2% | 9,022 | |
| 6 Years | 5% | 18,091 | Runaway | 1% | 3,742 | |
| 7 Years | 5% | 17,438 | Trial Home Visit | 4% | 16,268 | |
| 8 Years | 4% | 16,274 | ||||
| 9 Years | 4% | 15,252 | Case Plan Goal | Percent | Number | |
| 10 Years | 4% | 14,673 | Reunify with Parent(s) or Primary Caretaker(s) | 52% | 186,356 | |
| 11 Years | 4% | 14,447 | Live with Other Relative(s) | 4% | 12,670 | |
| 12 Years | 4% | 14,812 | Adoption | 28% | 101,401 | |
| 13 Years | 4% | 16,336 | Long Term Foster Care | 2% | 7,152 | |
| 14 Years | 5% | 17,766 | Emancipation | 5% | 17,736 | |
| 15 Years | 5% | 19,210 | Guardianship | 4% | 15,970 | |
| 16 Years | 5% | 20,163 | Case Plan Goal Not Yet Established | 5% | 16,771 | |
| 17 Years | 5% | 20,101 | ||||
| 18 Years | 2% | 6,330 | Time in Care | Months | ||
| 19 Years | 1% | 4,421 | Mean | 22.5 | ||
| 20 Years | 1% | 3,653 | Median | 15.5 | ||
| Race/Ethnicity | Percent | Number | Time in Care | Percent | Number | |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 2% | 8,987 | Less than 1 Month | 4% | 15,571 | |
| Asian | 1% | 1,979 | 1 5 Months | 18% | 67,021 | |
| Black or African American | 23% | 83,085 | 6 11 Months | 18% | 67,142 | |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 976 | 12 17 Months | 15% | 56,371 | |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 22% | 79,090 | 18 23 Months | 11% | 39,768 | |
| White | 43% | 156,570 | 24 29 Months | 7% | 27,387 | |
| Unknown/Unable to Determine | 2% | 7,546 | 30 35 Months | 6% | 23,474 | |
| Two or More Races | 8% | 29,466 | 3 4 Years | 13% | 47,350 | |
| 5 Years or More | 7% | 24,441 | ||||
| NOTE: All races exclude children of Hispanic origin. Children of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. | ||||||
Children Entering Foster Care during FY 2022 - N=186,602
Age at Entry |
Years |
Race/Ethnicity |
Percent | Number | ||
| Mean | 6.9 | American Indian/Alaska Native | 2% | 4,276 | ||
| Median | 6.0 | Asian | 1% | 1,237 | ||
| Black or African American | 21% | 38,720 | ||||
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 646 | ||||
Age at Entry |
Percent | Number | Hispanic (of any race) | 20% | 37,008 | |
| Less than 1 Year | 20% | 37,065 | White | 45% | 84,004 | |
| 1 Year | 7% | 12,653 | Unknown/Unable to Determine | 3% | 5,402 | |
| 2 Years | 6% | 11,372 | Two or More Races | 8% | 14,580 | |
| 3 Years | 6% | 10,367 | ||||
| 4 Years | 5% | 9,332 | NOTE: All races exclude children of HIspanic origin. Children of Hispanic ethnicity may be any race. |
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| 5 Years | 5% | 9,054 | ||||
| 6 Years | 5% | 8,614 |
Circumstances Associated with Child's Removal |
Percent | Number | |
| 7 Years | 4% | 8,073 | Neglect | 62% | 115,473 | |
| 8 Years | 4% | 7,455 | Drug Abuse (Parent) | 33% | 61,585 | |
| 9 Years | 4% | 7,134 | Caretaker Inability To Cope | 13% | 24,585 | |
| 10 Years | 4% | 6,662 | Physical Abuse | 13% | 23,958 | |
| 11 Years | 4% | 6,708 | Housing | 11% | 19,924 | |
| 12 Years | 4% | 7,470 | Child Behavior Problem | 8% | 14,280 | |
| 13 Years | 4% | 8,247 | Parent Incarceration | 6% | 11,821 | |
| 14 Years | 5% | 9,103 | Alcohol Abuse (Parent) | 6% | 10,686 | |
| 15 Years | 5% | 9,492 | Abandonment | 5% | 10,066 | |
| 16 Years | 5% | 8,944 | Sexual Abuse | 4% | 7,938 | |
| 17 Years | 3% | 6,037 | Drug Abuse (Child) | 2% | 4,089 | |
| 18 Years | 1% | 1,715 | Child Disability | 2% | 3,132 | |
| 19 Years | 0% | 615 | Parent Death | 1% | 2,488 | |
| 20 Years | 0% | 459 | Relinquishment | 1% | 1,874 | |
| Alcohol Abuse (Child) | 0% | 817 | ||||
| NOTE: These categories are not mutually exclusive, so percentages will total more than 100% and counts will be more than the total number of entries. |
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Children Exiting Foster Care during FY 2022 - N=201,372
Age at Exit |
Years |
Race/Ethnicity |
Percent | Number | ||
| Mean | 8.3 | American Indian/Alaska Native | 2% | 4,411 | ||
| Median | 7.0 | Asian | 1% | 1,221 | ||
| Black or African American | 20% | 40,515 | ||||
Age at Exit |
Percent | Number | Hispanic (of any race) | 21% | 42,449 | |
| Less than 1 Year | 4% | 7,590 | Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 620 | |
| 1 Year | 8% | 16,373 | Two or More Races | 8% | 16,396 | |
| 2 Years | 9% | 17,463 | Unknown/Unable to Determine | 2% | 3,991 | |
| 3 Years | 7% | 14,728 | White | 45% | 91,411 | |
| 4 Years | 7% | 13,014 | ||||
| 5 Years | 6% | 11,577 | NOTE: All races exclude children of HIspanic origin. Children of Hispanic ethnicity may be any race. |
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| 6 Years | 5% | 10,756 | ||||
| 7 Years | 5% | 9,831 |
Reason for Discharge |
Percent | Number | |
| 8 Years | 5% | 9,279 | Reunification with Parent(s) or Primary Caretaker(s) | 46% | 91,115 | |
| 9 Years | 4% | 8,676 | Living with Other Relative(s) | 6% | 11,132 | |
| 10 Years | 4% | 7,906 | Adoption | 27% | 52,985 | |
| 11 Years | 4% | 7,354 | Emancipation | 9% | 18,538 | |
| 12 Years | 4% | 7,445 | Guardianship | 11% | 22,842 | |
| 13 Years | 4% | 7,700 | Transfer to Another Agency | 1% | 2,198 | |
| 14 Years | 4% | 7,842 | Runaway | 0% | 462 | |
| 15 Years | 4% | 8,093 | Death of Child | 0% | 420 | |
| 16 Years | 4% | 8,028 | ||||
| 17 Years | 4% | 7,208 | ||||
| 18 Years | 7% | 14,678 | ||||
| 19 Years | 1% | 1,434 | ||||
| 20 Years | 1% | 1,433 | ||||
Time in Care |
Months | |||||
| Mean | 22.6 | |||||
| Median | 17.5 | |||||
Time in Care |
Percent | Number | ||||
| Less than 1 Month | 6% | 12,965 | ||||
| 1 5 Months | 12% | 24,759 | ||||
| 6 11 Months | 16% | 33,164 | ||||
| 12 17 Months | 16% | 32,466 | ||||
| 18 23 Months | 13% | 25,452 | ||||
| 24 29 Months | 10% | 20,306 | ||||
| 30 35 Months | 8% | 15,240 | ||||
| 3 4 Years | 13% | 26,706 | ||||
| 5 Years or More | 5% | 10,120 | ||||
Children Waiting to be Adopted³ on September 30, 2022 - N=108,877
Age as of September 30th |
Years |
Age at Entry into Foster Care |
Years | |||
| Mean | 7.6 | Mean | 4.8 | |||
| Median | 7.0 | Median | 4 | |||
Age as of September 30th |
Percent | Number |
Age at Entry into Foster Care |
Percent | Number | |
| Less than 1 Year | 3% | 3,470 | Less than 1 Year | 28% | 30,925 | |
| 1 Year | 10% | 10,375 | 1 Year | 8% | 8,168 | |
| 2 Years | 9% | 10,102 | 2 Years | 7% | 7,249 | |
| 3 Years | 8% | 8,518 | 3 Years | 6% | 6,839 | |
| 4 Years | 7% | 7,278 | 4 Years | 6% | 6,287 | |
| 5 Years | 6% | 6,653 | 5 Years | 6% | 6,043 | |
| 6 Years | 5% | 5,953 | 6 Years | 6% | 5,997 | |
| 7 Years | 5% | 5,764 | 7 Years | 5% | 5,705 | |
| 8 Years | 5% | 5,382 | 8 Years | 5% | 5,381 | |
| 9 Years | 5% | 5,011 | 9 Years | 5% | 5,209 | |
| 10 Years | 5% | 5,036 | 10 Years | 4% | 4,743 | |
| 11 Years | 5% | 4,996 | 11 Years | 4% | 4,503 | |
| 12 Years | 5% | 4,982 | 12 Years | 4% | 4,051 | |
| 13 Years | 5% | 5,315 | 13 Years | 3% | 3,362 | |
| 14 Years | 5% | 5,616 | 14 Years | 2% | 2,411 | |
| 15 Years | 5% | 5,638 | 15 Years | 1% | 1,340 | |
| 16 Years | 5% | 5,085 | 16 Years | 1% | 547 | |
| 17 Years | 3% | 3,703 | 17 Years | 0% | 96 | |
Placement Type |
Percent | Number |
Sex |
Percent | Number | |
| Pre-Adoptive Home | 13% | 14,186 | Male | 52% | 56,934 | |
| Foster Family Home (Relative) | 27% | 29,662 | Female | 48% | 51,931 | |
| Foster Family Home (Non-Relative) | 50% | 54,033 | ||||
| Group Home | 3% | 3,670 | Race/Ethnicity | Percent | Number | |
| Institution | 5% | 5,294 | American Indian/Alaska Native | 2% | 2,250 | |
| Supervised Independent Living | 0% | 125 | Asian | 0% | 439 | |
| Runaway | 1% | 610 | Black or African American | 21% | 23,050 | |
| Trial Home Visit | 1% | 544 | Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 225 | |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 23% | 25,213 | ||||
Time in Care |
Months | White | 43% | 46,474 | ||
| Mean | 34.9 | Unknown/Unable to Determine | 2% | 1,641 | ||
| Median | 29.3 | Two or More Races | 9% | 9,434 | ||
Time in Care |
Percent | Number | NOTE: All races exclude children of HIspanic origin. Children of Hispanic ethnicity may be any race. |
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| Less than 1 Month | 0% | 400 | ||||
| 1 5 Months | 3% | 2,958 | ||||
| 6 11 Months | 7% | 8,101 | Of Children Waiting for Adoption whose Parents' Parental Rights have been | |||
| 12 17 Months | 13% | 14,621 | Terminated as of the Last Day of the FY (N=64,561), Time Elapsed since | |||
| 18 23 Months | 15% | 15,907 | Termination of Parental Rights as of September 30, 2022 | |||
| 24 29 Months | 12% | 13,548 |
Time Since TPR |
Months | ||
| 30 35 Months | 11% | 12,446 | Mean | 19.1 | ||
| 3 4 Years | 25% | 27,399 | Median | 10 | ||
| 5 Years or More | 12% | 13,497 | ||||
| ³ Waiting children are identified as children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parents’ parental rights have been terminated. Children 16 years old and older | ||||||
| whose parents’ parental rights have been terminated and who have a goal of emancipation have been excluded from the estimate. | ||||||
Children Adopted with Public Agency Involvement in FY 2022⁴- N=53,665
Age at Adoption |
Years |
Time Elapsed from Termination of Parental Rights to Adoption |
Months | |||
| Mean | 6.1 | Mean | 12.4 | |||
| Median | 5.0 | Median | 9.0 | |||
Age at Adoption |
Percent | Number |
Time Elapsed from Termination of Parental Rights
|
Percent | Number | |
| Less than 1 Year | 2% | 851 | Less than 1 Month | 3% | 1,518 | |
| 1 Year | 12% | 6,235 | 1 5 Months | 28% | 14,426 | |
| 2 Years | 14% | 7,673 | 6 11 Months | 34% | 17,974 | |
| 3 Years | 11% | 5,931 | 12 17 Months | 17% | 8,896 | |
| 4 Years | 9% | 4,751 | 18 23 Months | 7% | 3,454 | |
| 5 Years | 7% | 3,963 | 24 29 Months | 4% | 2,096 | |
| 6 Years | 6% | 3,478 | 30 35 Months | 3% | 1,439 | |
| 7 Years | 6% | 2,986 | 3 4 Years | 4% | 1,864 | |
| 8 Years | 5% | 2,813 | 5 Years or More | 1% | 533 | |
| 9 Years | 5% | 2,529 | ||||
| 10 Years | 4% | 2,196 |
Race/Ethnicity |
Percent | Number | |
| 11 Years | 4% | 1,939 | American Indian/Alaska Native | 2% | 927 | |
| 12 Years | 3% | 1,786 | Asian | 0% | 207 | |
| 13 Years | 3% | 1,734 | Black or African American | 16% | 8,466 | |
| 14 Years | 3% | 1,484 | Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 124 | |
| 15 Years | 2% | 1,210 | Hispanic (of any race) | 20% | 10,889 | |
| 16 Years | 2% | 1,046 | White | 51% | 27,179 | |
| 17 Years | 2% | 922 | Unknown/Unable to Determine | 1% | 797 | |
| 18 Years | 0% | 101 | Two or More Races | 9% | 5,032 | |
| 19 Years | 0% | 27 | ||||
| 20 Years | 0% | 6 | ||||
| NOTE: All races exclude children of HIspanic origin. Children of Hispanic ethnicity may be any race. |
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Adoptive Family Structure |
Percent | Number |
Sex |
Percent | Number | |
| Married Couple | 67% | 35,632 | Male | 51% | 27,292 | |
| Single Female | 25% | 13,344 | Female | 49% | 26,363 | |
| Single Male | 4% | 2,054 | ||||
| Unmarried Couple | 4% | 2,036 |
Receive Adoption Subsidy |
Percent | Number | |
| Yes | 94% | 50,370 | ||||
| No | 6% | 3,246 | ||||
t (TAR) have changed.
AFCARS Background (AFCARS 1993)
The AFCARS final rule was published on December 22, 1993; the federal regulations at 45 CFR 1355.40 implemented Section 479 of title IV-E of the Social Security Act. AFCARS was established to provide data to assist in policy development and program management. Policymakers at the federal, tribal, and state levels use AFCARS to assess the number of children in foster care, the reasons they enter and exit care, and how to characterize other attributes of this population that could be associated with foster care outcomes. AFCARS data is collected two times per year: an "A" period (Oct 1 through March 31) and a "B" period (April 1 through Sept. 30). This report has been published since 1998 using three consecutive six-month AFCARS submissions for each release: "A" + "B" + "Subsequent A." The "Subsequent A" submission allows for the inclusion of adoption and foster care events not available when a State submitted their "B" submission.
New AFCARS (AFCARS 2020)
The AFCARS regulations were updated via the final rule published in May 2020 (85 FR 28410). The updated ACFARS supports improved and more sophisticated data analyses. Changes included increasing the number of foster care data elements collected from sixty-six to one hundred and eighty-six and adjusting the data format from ASCII to XML. The first submission of AFCARS 2020 was due May 15, 2023. Title IV-E agencies had until October 1, 2022, to prepare their data systems to collect and report AFCARS 2020 data. However, many States continue to be in a capacity-building mode with respect to collecting and submitting AFCARS 2020 data. Publishing The AFCARS Report The nature of the of changes described above requires CB to take additional time to assess and evaluate the first fully AFCARS 2020 submission (23A). This includes working with States to identify and address data quality issues. As a result, the "23A" data is not available for use as the "Subsequent A" file for the FY 2022 TAR. CB continues to evaluate and work with States to ensure the quality of their AFCARS 2020 submissions. Therefore, to ensure its timely publication, this The report uses only the "22A" and "22B" submissions as the source file. Definitions and additional supporting information can be found by using this link: Definitions and additional supporting information can be found by using this link
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