The Annual Reality
young people aged out of U.S. foster care in a single year, without a permanent family.
Source: The AFCARS Dashboard print version, FFY2025, No. 33 · exit reason “emancipation,” federal FY 2025 · data as of Feb 27, 2026
FosterData reads the official reports from federal and state agencies and turns them into stories, maps and tools you can trust and cite. Start where it matters most: close to home.
One year of U.S. foster care
In care on Sep 30, 2025
1 dot = 100 children
In care on Sep 30, 2025
331,747
Enough children to fill a mid-sized American city. Each dot here stands for 100 of them.
3,317 dots · the Sep 30 count
Entered care during FY 2025
175,008
Foster care is not a fixed population. Children arrive every day, and most return home. That flow is why every community needs foster families ready.
1,750 dots · counted over the year, shown beside the grid
Plan of adoption
67,249
For these children, the path home runs through a new family. Teens and sibling groups wait the longest.
672 dots · lit up inside the Sep 30 grid
Adopted during FY 2025
43,380
Adoptions have fallen since FY 2019, partly because fewer children are in care. Every one is still a life changed.
434 dots · counted over the year, shown beside the grid
Aged out during FY 2025
15,030
Research from three Midwest states found 31% to 46% of youth who aged out had been homeless at least once by 26. A permanent adult changes that story.
150 dots · counted over the year, shown beside the grid
Hyperlocal
When you see your own county or parish, the need stops being abstract. Texas and Louisiana are live today, down to every one of their 254 counties and 64 parishes. The other 48 states are coming, one verified source at a time.
Latest
Tone: Hard data.Data StoriesTexas
Removals rose for the first time in three years. Four urban counties account for more than a third, and the rates tell a different story than the counts.
Tone: Hopeful.InspirationLouisiana
Tone: Hard data.Data StoriesLouisiana
Tone: Hopeful.InspirationTexas
Tone: Explainer.Official ReportsNational
Inspiration
Families reunified. Siblings adopted together. Grandparents who stepped in. The same official reports that document the need also record the people meeting it.
Tone: Hopeful.InspirationLouisiana
At its 27th annual Adoption Celebration, DCFS honored 508 families. Fifty of the children were teenagers, up from 36 the year before.
Tone: Hopeful.InspirationTexas
Of 9,876 exits from DFPS custody in FY 2025, nearly three in four ended with a parent or a relative.
Tone: Hopeful.InspirationLouisiana
In four years, the number of newly certified foster homes more than doubled. The need is still bigger, but the trend is real.
For data scientists, reporters and advocates
Every chart has a table behind it, a CSV you can download, and the dataset, coverage and as-of date attached. Compare states, track trends, and embed live stat cards in your own reporting.
Children in U.S. foster care on September 30
Federal FY 2015–2025 · hover for values
Source: Children’s Bureau, AFCARS Trends FY 2013–2022 (FY 2015–22) and AFCARS Dashboard No. 33 (FY 2023–25). FY 2023+ is not directly comparable with earlier years.
When we talk about foster care data, we’re not talking about numbers. We’re talking about children who deserve to be seen, counted, and fought for.
Turning data into dignity since 2024
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Data that drives change.
Maps, trends, downloads and embeds, built from AFCARS, Texas DFPS and Louisiana DCFS.
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Official sources only: AFCARS, Texas DFPS, Louisiana DCFS and other state agencies, updated as reports are released.