In 2012, Most Children Exited Foster Care to Live With Parents, Relatives and Guardians

Posted May 11, 2014
By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

In 2012, a total of 240,940 chil­dren exit­ed the fos­ter care sys­tem. Of those, 44% were white, 25% African Amer­i­can and 20% Lati­no. Two out of three (66%) of those exit­ing care were either reuni­fied with their par­ents or pri­ma­ry care­tak­ers, oth­er rel­a­tive or guardians; and 21% were adopted.

Unfor­tu­nate­ly, 10% of kids exit­ing did so with­out legal per­ma­nence, either eman­ci­pat­ing or aging out of the system.

New fos­ter care data avail­able for the nation, states and the Dis­trict of Columbia: 

Chil­dren exit­ing fos­ter care 
Chil­dren exit­ing fos­ter care by race or His­pan­ic origin
Chil­dren exit­ing fos­ter care by exit reason