Frequently Asked Questions: Out-of-Home Care

• Questions and answers
• General resources
• Frequently requested information

Questions and answers

• How many children are in foster care in the U.S.? In my State?
• How long do children stay in foster care? What are their plans after foster care?
• How do I become a foster parent? Will I receive any financial assistance to care for a child(ren)?
• I'm having problems with foster care services in my State. What should I do?

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General resources

• Adoption and Foster Care Statistics (AFCARS Reports)
• Child Maltreatment 2015
• Child Welfare Outcomes Report Data
• Foster Care Statistics 2014
• From Complaint to Resolution: Understanding the Child Welfare Grievance Process

  Child Welfare Information Gateway

  (2016)
• How the Child Welfare System Works

  Child Welfare Information Gateway

  (2013)
• National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD)

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Frequently requested information

• A Family's Guide to the Child Welfare System (PDF - 699 KB)
  Addresses many of the questions that families face when they become involved in the child welfare system.
  Also available in Spanish: Guía para la familia sobre el sistema de bienestar infantil (PDF - 889 KB)
• Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare System

  Child Welfare Information Gateway

  (2016)
• State Foster Care Information Websites

  Child Welfare Information Gateway

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