May Is National Foster Care Month
For 31 days each year, the nation shifts extra attention onto the stories of children and families whose lives have been affected by foster care.
The pivot is intentional — and dates back to 1988 when President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation establishing May as National Foster Care Month. Today, this precedent endures. It recognizes the needs of kids and youth in foster care and celebrates the many supporters who are making a powerful and positive difference in their lives.
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Facts About Foster Care in the States
In honor of National Foster Care Month, and the need to focus on this issue year-round, the Annie E. Casey Foundation is sharing select facts about foster care in America. The latest research tells us that:
- More than 345,000 children and youth are in foster care on any given day.
- The majority of kids in care — 55% — enter the foster care system due to neglect, according to 2025 data from the federal Children’s Bureau.
- Young kids under age 6 are the largest group in care (36%), while children 6 to 10 and 11 to 15 each make up 22% and older youth 16 to 20 comprise 20%, according to 2024 data. Most states allow young adults to remain in foster care a few years beyond 18.
- The median length of time children spend in care is just under 18 months, according to 2025 Children’s Bureau data.
- Kids in care are predominantly white (41%), Black (24%) and Latino (21%). However, American Indian and Alaska Native, Black and multiracial children continue to be disproportionately represented in foster care. For instance, American Indian and Alaska Native children have the highest rate per population in foster care, at 12.5 in every 1,000 kids, more than three times the national average of 3.9 per 1,000, followed by multiracial (7.0) and Black (7.0) children.
- More than 79,000 children and youth are waiting to be adopted.
- Just under one-third (30%) of kids in care are placed with relatives, which can help with stability and reduce trauma. A larger share (43%) of kids are placed with non-relative foster families. Children and youth generally do better in family settings compared with group homes and institutions.
- Nearly half — 45% — of kids in care in 2025 were seeking to reunite with their birth parents or primary caretakers, according to the Children’s Bureau.
- However, more than 15,000 young adults emancipate or “age out” of foster care each year without reuniting with their families or obtaining another permanent family. These young people face increased risks of hardships such as homelessness, unemployment, and mental and behavioral health problems.
- Youth in foster care who are transitioning to adulthood are up to four times more likely to have mental health disorders, such as depression and PTSD, compared to the general population with similar demographic characteristics. Among former foster children, an estimated 60% have a lifetime prevalence of a mental health condition.
- Trauma-informed care, kin placements and stable placements can help mitigate the challenges that children face in foster care.
For many Americans, the focus on foster care does not fade after the month of May. To help support three groups who navigate the system every day — youth in care, foster parents and child welfare professionals — the Annie E. Casey Foundation funds programs and research, tracks data, advocates for effective policies and compiles key resources.
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