Who are the Waiting Children in the U.S. Foster Care System?
Teenagers. Sibling groups. Children with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. Children who have been abused and neglected.

Many thousands of children who wait for parents live in foster homes, group homes or residential treatment centers. More than half the children are of minority descent. Sadly, many of them have experienced abuse and neglect, and all have endured the trauma of being separated from their families. The challenges differ from child to child, but they all long for unconditional love, patience and understanding. These children are waiting for the day when they will have a family who can give them the stability and loving care they so desperately need...and deserve.
 

Foster Care Totals

There are over 550,000 children in foster care in the United States.

Children of color outnumber white children in foster care. Of the children in foster care:
39% were Black non-Hispanic;
34% were White non-Hispanic;
17% were Hispanic;
2% were American Indian/Alaskan Native;
1% Asian/Pacific Islander; and
7% were of unknown or other racial/ethnic background.

The average (mean) age of children in foster care was 9.9 years. The average (mean) length of time that children had been in foster care was 32 months.

Children Needing Families

The United States Department of Health and Human Services estimates that as many as 127,000 children in foster care needed adoptive families. The ethnic backgrounds of these children are as follows:
42% were African American
32% were White
15% were Hispanic
1% were Native American/Alaskan Native
1% were Asian/Pacific Islander
8% were of unknown/unable to determine ethnic backgrounds

The average mean age of children waiting to be adopted is 7.9 years. More than 70% of the children are under the age of 11.

The mean length of time that these children have been in foster care is 44 months.
Source: AFCARS June 2001

According the US Department of Health and Human Services, 50,000 children were adopted from the foster care system in fiscal year 2000.

Sources: CAP: Children Awaiting Parents Evan B. Donaldson Research Institute and the US Department of Health and Human Services