Kids Count Data Center

Definitions: Children and youth in foster care waiting for adoption from birth up to age 20, by amount of time waiting. Time waiting is calculated by subtracting the date of a child’s most recent entry into foster care from the date of the end of the fiscal year. Most states allow children to remain in the foster care system until their 18th birthday, though some states have age limits that extend a few years beyond this. The current indicator includes children up to age 20 regardless of their state limit. National estimates include Puerto Rico. National estimates include Puerto Rico. More...

Data Source: Child Trends analysis of data from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), made available through the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect.

Footnotes: Updated May 2013.
N.A. - Data not available.

Note: The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are not included in maps and rankings because they are not states and therefore comparisons on many indicators of child well being are not meaningful.