Latest Statistics Reveal Significant Drop in Number of Adoptions from Foster Care — A 20-Year Low 

Alexandria, VA — the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its annual report on adoption and foster care statistics for federal fiscal year 2023, showing a nearly 7% year-over-year drop in the number of children in foster care.

For the fifth consecutive year, the number of children in foster care decreased. This is also the fifth consecutive year of declines in adoptions from foster care, with 50,193 adoptions in fiscal year 2023, a decline of over 5% from the prior year, marking the lowest level since 2003.

“It’s important to remember that an increase or decrease in the number of children in foster care should not be our measure of success,” said Ryan Hanlon, president and CEO of National Council For Adoption. “Rather, our goal should be to reduce child-maltreatment rates, reduce time spent outside permanent family care, and reduce timeframes and numbers of children awaiting adoption,” he added.

The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data is released annually by HHS and comprises foster care and adoption statistics from the states and tribes for the respective federal fiscal year. The latest available data includes numbers from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023, though two states’ data was not included (Washington and Wyoming).

More than 175,000 children entered foster care in fiscal year 2023, a drop of about 6% compared to the previous fiscal year. Moreover, the total number of children in the foster care system also decreased nearly 7% year over year—from 368,530 in fiscal year 2022 to 343,077 in fiscal year 2023. For context, the greatest number of children in foster care since HHS started collecting data was 567,000 in 1999.

Safe and stable reunification with birth family is the primary goal and most common exit type for children who enter foster care. When that is not possible, adoption is the next most common exit type, allowing children to find permanent and safe families. In the most recent reporting, nearly 78,000 children had a permanency plan of adoption.

National Council For Adoption (NCFA) notes that, in the United States, adoption is the most common type of adoption – with far more children joining families via adoption from foster care compared to intercountry adoption and private domestic adoption.

According to the Children’s Bureau, nearly 16,000 youth “emancipated” from foster care, meaning they exited the system without a permanent family. This is an important reminder that we need to work in a timely manner on finding families for children who cannot safely reunify and to advocate on behalf of every youth who enters the child welfare system.

View our article for a review of notable figures and key insights from the report.

New Data Reporting Format

This year marks a new method of data reporting for the Children’s Bureau, incorporating new data elements based on regulatory changes finalized in May 2020. The new data is published in an online dashboard and provides useful information, though the change in formatting makes comparisons to prior years difficult for some data points.

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About National Council For Adoption

Founded in 1980, NCFA is a leading authoritative voice for adoption and is passionately committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing permanent family. NCFA’s nonprofit work promotes a culture of adoption through education, research, advocacy, and collaboration that aims to serve children, expectant parents, birth parents, adoptees, adoptive families, adoption professionals, policymakers, and all others impacted by adoption. adoptioncouncil.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Carolyn Bolton, 703-299-6633, cbolton@adoptioncouncil.org