Foster Care Frequently Asked Question #6

Question:

How long do children stay in foster care?

Answer:

States report data to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) about children in foster care and children who are adopted from foster care.  According to the most recent report, AFCARS Report # 19, at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/afcars-report-19 of the estimated 404,540 children in foster care on September 30, 2011, approximately 45 percent of the children in care had been in care for less than one year, 23 percent had been in care for 1 - 2 years, 11 per cent had been in care for 2 - 3 years, 10 per cent had been in care for three - four years, and 10 percent had been in care for five years or more.