Foster care is important for children in need. No matter their situation, it allows children to grow up in a loving and caring environment.
To understand the true state of foster care, it’s important to look at the facts. Stats can show how important foster care is and the impact it has on children everywhere.
Such information also helps organizations understand how to provide the best possible care to children in need and provide answers to common questions about foster care.
Here are 72 foster care statistics for 2024.
Current statistics show there are 390,000 children in foster care in the United States. However, the number of kids in foster care changes all the time.
Some children stay in foster care for just a short while, while others might be there for years. The goal is always to find the best solution for each child, whether that's going back to their family or finding a new forever home.
Think about it: each number represents a child with their own story. These are real kids who, for different reasons, can't live with their families right now.
They come from all kinds of backgrounds and various ages — from tiny babies to teenagers about to become adults.
Foster parents play a crucial role in providing a safe and loving environment for these children.
As Elizabeth Murrell, a foster parent from Maryland, beautifully expresses in her letter to her child in care:
"We want you to feel safe and loved in our home. We understand that this may be a new and unfamiliar environment for you, but please know that we are here to support you every step of the way."
Knowing how many kids are in foster care reveals how many loving homes and caring adults are needed to step up and help. It also reminds us why it's so important to support families and try to keep them together when it's safe to do so.
Foster care helps children from all demographics lead a fulfilling life with love and care. Here are some foster care statistics concerning race and demographics, courtesy of the AFCARS Report.
The number of children in care varies greatly by state — we’ll list some of the more prominent ones to show the differences. These stats are courtesy of The Imprint.
Here are the 10 states with the most children in foster care as of 2022:
Compare these to some with far fewer children in foster care:
Unfortunately, in some cases, children in care “age out” of foster care — in other words, they aren’t reunited with their family or matched with an adoptive family.
Here are some of those findings:
When kids enter foster care, they often bring more than just a suitcase.
Many carry invisible burdens — memories of tough times, worries about the future, and sometimes health issues we can't see from the outside. Some may also require therapeutic care.
It's important that we pay attention to how these children are doing, both in body and mind.
The goal of foster care is to reunite children with their families, if possible. If not, then foster care adoption is a potential solution.
Here are some stats on the length of foster care, provided by the AFCARS Report:
In cases where reuniting a child with their biological parents isn’t possible, the goal is to find an adoptive family.
Foster care can’t work without selfless people volunteering to provide love and care. Becoming a foster parent is no small feat, and children in care need them to lead fulfilling lives and thrive in the future.
In many cases, being in foster care can affect the education of a child. Here’s what the statistics say about foster care education.
Providing support that allows children to focus on their education is important. Helping them overcome these barriers and thrive in the future is part of being an amazing foster parent!
The bonds of family play a crucial role in a child's development and well-being, especially when that child is in foster care.
While the primary goal of foster care is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children who cannot live with their biological parents, maintaining and nurturing family connections remains a priority.
These statistics show just how important foster parents are to the many children in need.
So, if you’re ready to take a step forward and make a difference, why not get the answers to your foster parenting questions?
The Foster Parent Information Webinar can give you step-by-step guidance, covering the process of becoming a foster parent, the importance of foster parents, who can foster, and what support is available to you.