Questions and answers
- How long do children stay in foster care? What are their plans after foster care?
- A family member asked me to be a legal guardian for her children because she is having some serious problems and cannot care for them, but I'm not sure exactly what that means. Can you explain?
- What are the permanency outcomes for children leaving foster care?
An additional 10 percent were emancipated or aged out of foster care, and 3 percent had other outcomes. The percentage of children who left the system for adoption increased by 2 percentage points between FY 2000 and FY 2008. Overall, the percentage of children exiting foster care to a permanent family (i.e., reunification, adoption, or living with relative or guardian) showed only small variations across the two periods. For more information, see the Children's Bureau's Adoption & Foster Care Statistics.
General resources
- This factsheet provides a brief overview of the child welfare system and its purposes and functions. Child welfare systems typically receive and investigate reports of possible child abuse and neglect; provide services to families that need assistance in the protection and care of their children; arrange for children to live with kin or with foster families when they are not safe at home; and arrange for reunification, adoption, or other permanent family connections for children leaving foster care. A flowchart illustrates how cases may move through the child welfare system.
- Adoption and Foster Care Statistics (AFCARS Reports)
- Child Welfare Outcomes Report Data
Frequently requested information
- State Laws on Child Welfare
- Summaries of State laws on permanency planning for children in foster care.
- This bulletin for professionals explores concurrent planning, which is an approach that seeks to reduce the amount of time children spend in foster care by considering all reasonable permanency options the moment a child enters the system. The bulletin explores concurrent planning research and practice, the role of the courts, and assessing for family reunification probability. Caseworker training and examples from the field also are provided.
- A number of grandparents and other relatives care for children whose own parents are unable to care for them. Sometimes, the arrangement (referred to as "kinship care") is an informal, private arrangement between the parents and relative caregivers; in other situations, the local child welfare agency is involved. This factsheet is designed to help kinship caregivers--including grandparents, aunts and uncles, other relatives, and family friends caring for children--work effectively with the child welfare system. Resources, such as links to more detailed information or places to find help, are included.
- Guardianship
Addresses guardianship options for children in out-of-home care, including standby and subsidized guardianships - Extending Out-Of-Home Care for Youth Past Age 18
Presents information on Federal and State efforts to support youth in out-of-home care past age 18 - AdoptUsKids
Promotes the recruitment and retention of adoptive families for children in foster care.