How Many Kids are in Foster Care: Foster Facts in the U.S.
In Virginia and across the United States, we urgently need more parents in the foster care system today. These caring individuals can provide a temporary, loving homes for foster care children and teens in urgent need. Hampton Roads is one example, where nearly 1,000 children are in the local foster care system. Across Virginia, we urgently need homes for youth in foster care.
And we are only one among a sea of states across America where a child's birth family doesn't provide safety or care.
Every child in foster care or up for adoption has experienced some form of loss, child abuse, or neglect. This often comes from their birth parents or family members. Every child in foster care depends on their local Department of Social Services (DSS) or child welfare agency to help them achieve "permanency." Children living in the foster system might simply call this "family."
Discover the level of need based on how many children and youth cannot safely live with their birth families. Learn key foster care statistics and how fostering or adopting a foster child can transform your life - and your child's - for the better.
How many kids live in the United States child welfare system? How many youth aging in care need parental love and guidance to successfully transition to adulthood and independent living?
The State of Foster Care Today: By the Numbers
The ebb and flow of children entering and exiting the foster care system often reveal trends. Causes may include policy decisions and social or cultural trends.
The Covid-19 Pandemic Struck a Blow
Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on the foster care system. Although the average number of children in foster care decreased, this trend was not as positive as it seemed. Instead, it showed that there were serious problems.
Social workers could not safely check on children and families. Families in crisis had children who were often out of sight. This made it hard for public providers to spot signs of danger.
A recent study looked at young people in foster care or who are homeless. It found that four out of five of them said COVID-19 had a significant impact on their health and well-being. The pandemic delivered a sizable blow to many children in the foster care system already experiencing trauma.
An alarming lack of families willing to take foster children into their homes worsened the crisis in progress. One Chicago source reported a 33% increase in the number of children entering the foster care system. Even so, fear of catching or spreading COVID-19 kept many potential foster care families from opening their homes.
Post-Pandemic Foster Families Are Still Short
More recent data indicates some improvements in the years since the 2020 and 2021 peak pandemic years. More foster families have stepped up again. However, Virginia and most states in the country are still in urgent need.
We simply have more kids coming into foster care than we have foster parents to care for them. Children are desperate for stable homes and adults they can count on.
By too many measures, Virginia's shortage is among the most extreme. Recently, 163 children in Virginia had to sleep overnight in hospital emergency rooms, government offices, or hotels.
The bottom line? We didn't and still do not have enough foster homes to open their hearts for children in need.
How Many Kids Are in Foster Care in America?
Every year, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) and the Administration for Children & Families release a report on the comparative year-over-years foster care stats and trends. The most recent report lags by two years. The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report outlines the most recent data showing the state of foster care in the U.S. child welfare system.
According to the AFCARS report, there are 368,530 kids in the foster care system as of September 30th of the fiscal year 2022.
The report shows 186,602 youth entered foster care in the reporting period. Another 108,877 were waiting for adoptive families to find them. Even one is too many kids to stay in more institutional settings like group homes or to age out without a family. For those who age out, the hardships of life without a safe and supportive social system are real, and the outcomes can become painful.
The unfortunate reality is that many kids remain in congregate care until a foster or adoptive family comes forward. The most fortunate kids in foster care find safety, stability, and love with an adoptive family. Permanency remains the Holy Grail for kids in the foster care system.
The system urgently needs foster parents who can care for or adopt these children and teens. Sibling groups and teens are the two groups in greatest need of foster families. Teens need role models are parents to support them before they age out of foster care at 18 years. These young adults have the highest risk of failure if foster care workers cannot find them a home at least through high school graduation.
In 2021, youth under 18 entered the United States foster care system at a rate of 3 per 1,000. This is consistent with statistics over the last 20+ years.
Virginia updates foster care statistics monthly. According to the latest data, 5,400 kids are currently in Virginia's foster care system. The average age of a child in Virginia foster care remains just eight years old.
Foster parents make a lasting impact on the lives of children. When you become a foster parent, you can help a child know the comfort and security of a safe, stable, and loving home.
Please Help Children in Need
If you are considering this honorable and impactful parenting path, there is no time like today to take steps. Your foster or future adopted child is waiting for a family where they can belong. Virginia children need adults they can trust and count on today. Will you help them make a better life?
Together we can create a lifetime of brighter tomorrow for children and teens in need. For answers to your questions or information about how you can foster or adopt a child, send us a message today.