South Carolina

South Carolina [Context Data]

A. Context Statistics 1 2

General Child Population (Census Bureau) 3
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total children under 18 years 1,104,965 1,108,588 1,113,673 1,114,257 1,117,092
Race/ethnicity (%) 4
Alaska Native / American Indian 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3
Asian 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.9
Black 29.8 29.5 29.3 29.2 29.0
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1
Hispanic (of any race) 9.3 9.7 9.9 10.2 10.4
White 54.8 54.6 54.4 54.2 54.0
Two or more races 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
Child population in poverty (%) 22.6 22.6 19.7 18.9 20.1
Child Welfare Summary 5
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Child maltreatment victims 17,071 19,130 18,717 14,263 15,308
Foster care entry rate 3.3 3.7 3.6 2.7 2.4
Children in foster care on 9/30 4,041 4,456 4,521 4,070 3,944
Children adopted 487 435 529 551 459
Caseworker Visits 6
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Children receiving monthly visits (%) 97 97 97 97 95
Numerator 44,025 45,850 48,620 47,336 43,175
Denominator 45,229 47,380 49,999 48,944 45,280
Children receiving visits in the home (%) 72 68 68 64 69
Numerator 31,589 31,406 33,221 30,316 29,774
Denominator 44,025 45,850 48,620 47,336 43,175

1 The source data for each table is indicated in parentheses for each section. A calendar year is the basis for data from the Census Bureau. Most of the other data on these pages are from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) or the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and are based on the federal fiscal year, October 1 through September 30.  Back
2 Data that did not meet the quality standards for inclusion in the report are represented as DQ*. Incomplete data excluded from inclusion in the report are represented as --. For additional information on the data quality thresholds for the Child Welfare Outcomes Report, please reference the full report or the Child Welfare Outcomes data site.  Back
3 The total child population and data on race/ethnicity represent estimates from the Census Bureau https://www.census.gov/data/tables.html . Child poverty data are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 poverty estimates are not available on data.census.gov. The 2020 poverty estimates are considered experimental and can be found on the ACS Experimental Data webpage: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/data/experimental-data.html.  Back
4 For race/ethnicity tables, all races exclude children of Hispanic origin. The Child Welfare Outcomes Report data site http://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/cwodatasite provides alternative race/ethnicity breakdowns in which race and ethnicity are treated as two separate categories.  Back
5 A child victim is defined as a child for whom the state determined at least one maltreatment was substantiated or indicated. This includes a child who died of child abuse and neglect. This is a change from prior years when children with dispositions of alternative response victim were included as victims. The rate for foster care entry is per 1,000 children in the state population. Data on child maltreatment victims are from NCANDS. Data on foster care entry rate, children in foster care on 9/30, and children adopted are from AFCARS.  Back
6 The reporting population subject to the caseworker visits requirements includes all children under age 18 for at least the first day of the FY (October 1) who have been in foster care for at least one full calendar month during the FY. All states have the option of using an approved sampling procedure for the caseworker visits reporting requirement.  Back

B. Child Maltreatment Data (National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System [NCANDS]) 7

Overview Maltreatment Information 8
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
  Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment 68,718 62.2 per 1,000 82,617 74.5 per 1,000 84,872 76.2 per 1,000 63,067 56.6 per 1,000 63,843 57.2 per 1,000
Total child maltreatment victims 17,071 15.4 per 1,000 19,130 17.3 per 1,000 18,717 16.8 per 1,000 14,263 12.8 per 1,000 15,308 13.7 per 1,000
Child Fatalities 28 2.5 per 100,000 39 3.5 per 100,000 60 5.4 per 100,000 36 3.2 per 100,000 41 3.7 per 100,000
Age of Child Victims (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Under 1 year 12.9 12.9 13.0 14.7 14.7
1 year 7.3 6.7 7.0 7.7 6.8
2 years 6.9 6.4 6.6 6.7 5.9
3 years 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.8 5.6
4 years 6.2 5.8 5.6 5.9 5.4
5 years 5.9 6.0 5.9 5.7 5.6
6 years 5.8 6.1 5.7 5.5 5.8
7 years 6.0 5.6 5.6 5.1 5.5
8 years 5.5 5.5 5.4 4.9 5.3
9 years 5.4 5.4 5.2 4.9 5.1
10 years 4.9 5.1 5.0 4.8 4.7
11 years 4.3 4.7 5.0 4.7 4.5
12 years 4.1 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.9
13 years 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.7 4.7
14 years 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.0 5.0
15 years 3.5 3.5 3.8 3.8 4.3
16 years 3.3 3.4 3.0 3.3 3.6
17 years 1.4 1.6 1.7 2.0 2.1
18+ years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Missing data 2.9 2.8 2.8 1.0 0.4
Number 17,071 19,130 18,717 14,263 15,308
Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Alaska Native / American Indian 0.1 0.2 <.1 0.1 0.2
Asian 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2
Black 38.3 36.9 39.4 38.4 38.3
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander 0.1 <.1 <.1 0.1 0.1
Hispanic (of any race) 4.5 4.5 4.7 4.6 5.7
White 49.1 50.0 47.1 47.1 44.6
Two or more races 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.5
Missing data 4.6 4.9 5.5 6.5 7.4
Number 17,071 19,130 18,717 14,263 15,308
Maltreatment Types of Child Victims (%) 9
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Emotional abuse 0.8 0.8 0.6 7.4 5.6
Medical neglect 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.4
Neglect 58.3 63.1 57.7 60.5 63.7
Physical abuse 55.3 55.5 57.9 46.7 45.4
Sexual abuse 4.9 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3
Sex trafficking 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.5
Missing data 0.0 0.0 <.1 0.0 0.0
Other 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
Number 17,071 19,130 18,717 14,263 15,308
Time to Investigation (in hours) 10
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Mean 25.7 37.8 41.8 32.6 37.2
Median <24 <24 <24 <24 <24

7 The unique count of child victims counts a child only once regardless of the number of times he or she was found to be a victim during the reporting year.  Back
8 The rates for Child Protective Services responses and victims are per 1,000 children under age 18; for fatalities, the rate is per 100,000 children under age 18.  Back
9 These percentages are calculated against the number of unique victims. A child may have been the victim of more than one type of maltreatment, or the same type of maltreatment more than once. As a result, the total percentages both within and across maltreatment categories may exceed 100.  Back
10 Response time is defined as the time between the report of suspected maltreatment and the first face-to-face contact with the alleged victim or with another person who can provide information on the allegation.  Back

C. Characteristics of Children in Foster Care (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System [AFCARS] Foster Care File)

Overview Foster Care Information
  In Foster Care on 10/1 FY Entered Foster Care in FY Exited Foster Care in FY In Foster Care on 9/30 FY
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total number 3,893 3,949 4,342 4,458 3,993 3,686 4,098 3,958 2,961 2,709 3,538 3,591 3,779 3,349 2,758 4,041 4,456 4,521 4,070 3,944
Median length of stay (months) 11.6 12.1 11.4 12.2 14.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 5.9 5.1 6.4 8.5 10.5 11.8 11.2 12.1 14.6 15.7
Age of Children in Foster Care (%)
  In Foster Care on 10/1 FY Entered Foster Care in FY Exited Foster Care in FY In Foster Care on 9/30 FY
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Under 1 year 6.9 6.2 6.0 5.8 5.1 13.6 13.4 13.0 13.4 13.1 5.8 5.8 5.2 5.3 4.2 6.3 6.0 5.8 5.1 5.0
1 year 8.1 7.6 8.0 7.4 7.2 6.9 6.7 6.4 6.6 5.8 7.7 6.6 6.6 6.2 5.7 7.7 8.0 7.3 7.1 6.6
2 years 6.9 7.2 6.7 7.1 6.8 6.1 6.3 6.1 5.7 5.9 7.2 7.4 7.2 7.0 6.9 7.2 6.7 7.1 6.8 6.8
3 years 6.2 5.8 6.4 5.9 6.1 6.5 6.1 5.7 5.6 4.9 7.0 7.3 6.8 6.3 5.6 5.7 6.4 5.8 6.1 6.0
4 years 5.5 5.8 4.9 5.1 5.5 5.7 5.4 5.2 5.5 4.6 6.4 5.9 6.8 5.8 6.3 5.8 4.8 5.2 5.4 5.3
5 years 5.2 4.5 5.8 4.7 4.9 5.2 5.6 5.6 4.6 4.8 6.0 5.4 5.6 4.9 5.5 4.5 5.7 4.6 4.8 4.6
6 years 4.6 4.8 4.6 5.0 4.5 4.9 5.4 4.7 4.9 4.1 5.7 5.5 5.1 5.2 4.6 4.8 4.6 5.0 4.5 4.2
7 years 5.0 4.8 4.9 5.0 4.5 5.7 4.3 5.3 4.6 4.3 5.4 4.9 4.8 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.8 5.0 4.5 4.3
8 years 5.2 5.3 4.8 5.2 4.7 5.1 5.2 4.6 4.7 4.8 5.3 4.9 4.9 5.5 4.7 5.1 4.8 5.2 4.6 4.3
9 years 5.1 4.7 5.0 4.6 4.4 5.0 4.7 4.4 3.3 4.4 5.2 4.5 4.8 4.4 4.6 4.8 5.0 4.6 4.5 4.6
10 years 3.9 4.8 4.9 4.6 4.5 4.7 4.2 5.2 4.7 4.3 4.3 4.9 5.1 4.2 4.0 4.8 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.2
11 years 3.8 4.1 5.1 4.9 4.7 3.8 5.0 4.8 4.2 4.5 3.8 4.1 4.6 4.2 4.6 4.1 5.1 5.0 4.7 4.9
12 years 4.0 4.1 4.6 4.8 5.0 4.2 4.4 4.9 5.0 4.8 3.6 3.9 4.6 4.6 4.1 4.2 4.6 4.8 4.9 4.7
13 years 4.8 4.7 4.4 5.5 5.3 5.1 4.6 4.6 4.9 5.3 4.1 4.2 4.0 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.5 5.4 5.3 5.7
14 years 5.0 5.4 5.0 5.2 6.0 4.9 5.3 5.8 5.6 6.2 4.3 4.8 4.3 5.0 4.7 5.6 5.0 5.3 6.1 6.0
15 years 6.1 6.0 6.0 6.3 5.9 5.8 5.4 5.9 6.7 6.8 3.7 4.3 4.8 4.9 5.3 6.1 6.0 6.4 5.8 7.0
16 years 6.9 7.2 6.3 6.1 7.8 4.7 5.6 5.0 6.5 6.9 4.2 5.3 4.9 4.7 5.1 7.2 6.4 6.0 7.8 7.4
17 years 6.7 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.8 2.1 2.3 2.7 3.5 4.4 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.7 4.9 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.9 8.1
18 years 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.2 6.8 6.8 8.2 9.4 <.1 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.3
19 years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 0.0 <.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
20+ years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Race/Ethnicity of Children in Foster Care (%)
  In Foster Care on 10/1 FY Entered Foster Care in FY Exited Foster Care in FY In Foster Care on 9/30 FY
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Alaska Native / American Indian 0.1 <.1 0.2 <.1 0.2 <.1 0.4 <.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 <.1 0.1 <.1 0.2 0.2 <.1 0.3
Asian <.1 0.1 <.1 <.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 <.1 <.1 0.1 0.1 0.3 <.1 <.1 0.3 <.1 <.1 <.1 0.1 <.1
Black 34.0 35.4 35.9 34.7 32.8 38.7 38.7 36.0 34.7 35.3 37.0 38.6 37.0 36.8 34.0 35.7 35.8 35.0 33.0 33.7
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander 0.0 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 0.3 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 0.2 <.1 <.1 <.1 <.1 0.1
Hispanic (of any race) 6.8 5.8 5.9 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.1 5.8 7.0 6.5 7.3 5.9 5.6 7.0 7.1 5.8 6.0 6.0 5.9 5.6
White 52.6 51.6 49.9 50.0 51.0 47.7 46.0 49.2 47.5 47.5 48.8 47.8 49.1 46.4 49.3 51.4 49.6 49.9 51.1 49.7
Two or more races 5.5 4.9 4.9 4.6 4.7 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.4 4.8 4.2 4.3 3.9 3.3 4.8 4.8 4.4 4.6 4.7
Unknown 1.0 2.1 3.1 4.3 5.0 3.1 4.4 5.0 6.8 6.6 1.9 3.0 3.6 5.6 5.5 2.1 3.5 4.4 5.1 5.7
Missing data <.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 <.1 <.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 <.1 0.0 0.1 <.1 0.1 <.1 0.0 0.0 <.1 <.1

D. Characteristics of Children "Waiting for Adoption" 11 (AFCARS Foster Care File)

Children Waiting for Adoption
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total waiting children 1,470 1,591 1,568 1,623 1,438
Number of waiting children whose parents' rights have been terminated 527 594 765 662 739

11 There is no federal definition for a child waiting to be adopted. The definition used in the tables on this page includes children and youth through age 17 who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parents' parental rights have been terminated. It excludes children 16 years old and older whose parents' parental rights have been terminated and who have a goal of emancipation. A state's own definition may differ from that used here.  Back

Age of Children Waiting for Adoption (%) 12
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Under 1 year 3.9 2.9 2.5 2.8 1.3
1 year 7.2 7.4 6.8 6.0 5.4
2 years 7.3 8.2 8.2 6.7 6.9
3 years 5.3 7.0 6.8 6.8 6.5
4 years 5.3 5.2 5.0 5.7 6.3
5 years 5.0 5.5 4.5 4.7 4.5
6 years 4.6 4.5 5.5 4.9 4.7
7 years 4.2 4.9 5.0 4.6 4.4
8 years 5.4 4.3 5.1 5.4 4.9
9 years 5.2 5.1 4.8 5.1 6.1
10 years 5.2 5.3 5.2 5.1 4.9
11 years 4.7 6.0 5.6 6.0 5.0
12 years 4.5 5.5 5.3 6.3 6.4
13 years 5.6 5.0 5.8 6.1 6.7
14 years 5.9 5.3 5.4 6.0 7.5
15 years 6.9 6.6 6.7 5.7 6.2
16 years 7.8 6.3 6.1 6.8 6.7
17 years 6.1 5.0 5.5 5.4 6.0

12 Children older than 17 years fall outside of the definition used to identify waiting children and are therefore excluded from this table.  Back

Race/Ethnicity of Children Waiting for Adoption (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Alaska Native / American Indian 0.1 <.1 0.3 0.1 0.3
Asian <.1 <.1 0.1 0.2 <.1
Black 34.9 33.2 33.0 32.1 33.0
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander 0.0 <.1 0.1 0.1 <.1
Hispanic (of any race) 5.3 5.8 6.1 6.0 5.8
White 53.9 53.2 52.4 52.8 51.7
Two or more races 4.8 5.5 5.2 5.1 5.8
Unknown 0.8 1.9 2.8 3.6 3.3
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

E. Characteristics of Children Adopted (AFCARS Adoption File)

Children Adopted
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Total children adopted 487 435 529 551 459
Age of Children Adopted (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Under 1 year 0.6 0.7 0.9 1.5 0.9
1 year 10.9 9.4 8.3 9.1 5.9
2 years 13.8 12.6 12.9 14.7 15.7
3 years 13.8 14.0 12.7 10.9 10.0
4 years 8.2 8.7 11.5 8.7 10.9
5 years 7.6 5.5 7.8 7.3 6.3
6 years 6.8 5.5 4.9 7.3 5.9
7 years 5.1 5.3 5.7 6.0 7.0
8 years 4.5 4.8 4.2 7.1 4.8
9 years 5.7 5.3 5.1 3.6 6.1
10 years 3.5 6.0 4.3 3.8 3.9
11 years 3.1 4.1 4.7 4.4 4.4
12 years 3.1 2.8 4.3 4.2 3.9
13 years 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.8 6.3
14 years 3.5 3.7 3.2 2.7 3.1
15 years 1.6 2.3 1.9 1.3 2.2
16 years 2.7 3.2 2.1 2.0 1.5
17 years 2.3 2.5 1.9 1.6 1.3
18 years 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0
19 years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
20+ years 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Race/Ethnicity of Children Adopted (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Alaska Native / American Indian 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0
Asian 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4
Black 21.1 27.8 24.6 28.7 27.0
Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0
Hispanic (of any race) 8.8 4.8 4.9 6.0 6.5
White 62.8 61.1 62.4 55.0 56.2
Two or more races 6.0 4.8 6.0 6.2 3.7
Unknown 1.2 1.1 1.9 4.0 6.1
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

South Carolina [Outcomes Data]

Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect (NCANDS)

Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 12 Months (%) 13
  2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Children without a recurrence 91.8 90.7 92.0 91.0 N/A
Children with one or more recurrences 8.2 9.3 8.0 9.0 N/A
Number 16,848 18,513 18,004 13,864 N/A

13 At the time of this analysis, data were not available to calculate the recurrence of maltreatment for children who were victims of maltreatment in 2021.  Back

Reduce the Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care (NCANDS and AFCARS Foster Care File)

2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Children maltreated while in foster care 0.50 0.67 0.41 0.61 1.00
Children not maltreated while in foster care 99.50 99.33 99.59 99.39 99.00
Number 7,579 8,047 8,300 7,419 6,702

Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care (AFCARS Foster Care File)

3.1 Exits of Children From Foster Care (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 13.7 12.3 13.8 16.6 16.4
Guardianship 1.7 2.2 1.9 2.2 3.4
Reunification 76.9 77.7 77.1 72.4 69.9
Other 7.8 7.8 7.3 8.7 10.3
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 3,538 3,591 3,779 3,349 2,758
Exits of Children With a Diagnosed Disability (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 4.0 DQ* DQ* 18.4 21.1
Guardianship 0.0 DQ* DQ* 0.0 5.3
Reunification 56.0 DQ* DQ* 49.0 28.9
Other 40.0 DQ* DQ* 32.7 44.7
Missing data 0.0 DQ* DQ* 0.0 0.0
Number 50 DQ* DQ* 49 38
Exits of Children Older than Age 12 at Entry Into Foster Care (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 1.3 2.2 1.0 2.2 1.1
Guardianship 1.7 2.4 1.9 1.8 4.3
Reunification 68.8 69.6 71.4 66.9 64.9
Other 28.2 25.8 25.6 29.1 29.8
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 776 862 889 853 749

Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care (Continued)

Exits to Emancipation (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Children age 12 or younger at entry 16.1 17.1 15.0 12.1 16.8
Children older than 12 at entry 83.9 82.9 85.0 87.9 83.2
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 254 257 260 273 256
Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)
  Alaska Native / American Indian Asian Black (non-Hispanic)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 0.0 12.5 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 28.6 7.7 9.0 9.1 13.0 12.8
Guardianship 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.9
Reunification 100.0 87.5 83.3 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 50.0 100.0 57.1 82.1 81.5 81.9 77.4 75.2
Other 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 50.0 0.0 14.3 9.0 7.9 7.7 8.1 10.0
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 4 8 6 2 3 5 9 2 1 7 1,309 1,387 1,400 1,232 937
Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)
  Native Hawaiian/Other Pac. Is. Hispanic (of any race) White (non-Hispanic)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 0.0 16.7 9.9 12.7 14.0 15.2 17.7 15.7 17.5 19.6 18.8
Guardianship 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 2.3 2.4 3.4 4.1 1.9 2.6 2.4 2.7 4.4
Reunification 100.0 100.0 100.0 66.7 100.0 76.7 82.2 74.5 73.3 70.6 73.1 73.5 73.1 68.3 65.8
Other 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.4 5.6 10.4 9.3 10.2 7.4 8.2 7.1 9.3 11.0
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 1 1 2 3 5 258 213 212 236 197 1,725 1,716 1,856 1,554 1,361
Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)
  Unable to Determine Two or More Races Missing Data
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Adoption 9.1 4.7 7.4 11.8 18.4 17.2 13.9 19.9 26.0 18.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Guardianship 7.6 2.8 0.7 2.1 1.3 2.4 4.0 1.2 1.5 5.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Reunification 75.8 88.7 90.4 81.8 75.0 73.4 73.5 72.7 58.8 64.1 100.0 0.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Other 7.6 3.8 1.5 4.3 5.3 7.1 8.6 6.2 13.7 12.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 66 106 136 187 152 169 151 161 131 92 1 0 4 3 4

Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing Reentry (AFCARS Foster Care File)

Time to Reunification (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Less than 12 mos. 83.4 81.4 82.7 78.8 69.6
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 12.8 15.2 12.9 16.4 21.6
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 2.2 2.5 3.2 3.4 5.7
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 0.7 0.4 0.7 1.1 2.1
48 or more mos. 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.0
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 2,719 2,790 2,913 2,426 1,928
Children Reentering Foster Care (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Children entering care for the first time 85.1 83.9 82.3 82.8 80.7
Children reentering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode 6.5 6.9 7.3 6.8 7.2
Children reentering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode 8.2 9.0 10.2 10.2 11.9
Missing data 0.1 <.1 0.2 0.2 0.2
Number 3,686 4,098 3,958 2,961 2,709

Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption (AFCARS Foster Care File)

Time to Adoption (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Less than 12 mos. 2.1 1.6 2.1 2.2 0.9
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 19.8 20.4 18.0 17.8 12.6
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 40.3 33.5 31.7 35.0 35.8
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 22.5 24.9 26.7 24.9 23.6
48 or more mos. 15.3 19.7 21.5 20.2 27.2
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Number 484 442 521 555 453

Increase Placement Stability (AFCARS Foster Care File)

Number of Placements by Time in Care (%)
  In Care Less Than 12 Months In Care at Least 12 months but Less Than 24 months In Care for 24 Months or Longer Time in Care Missing or Out of Range
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Children with 2 or fewer placements 82.4 81.5 77.1 74.7 73.3 53.8 53.8 53.9 50.4 48.9 33.5 27.7 28.7 28.9 28.6 100.0 0.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Children with 3 or more placements 17.5 18.3 22.7 25.1 26.6 46.2 46.1 46.1 49.5 51.1 66.5 72.3 71.3 71.1 71.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Missing Placement setting counts 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 <.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Total number 4,414 4,730 4,779 3,772 3,135 1,483 1,562 1,637 1,675 1,463 1,680 1,755 1,868 1,966 2,095 2 0 16 6 9

Reduce Placement of Young Children in Group Homes or Institutions (AFCARS Foster Care File)

Most Recent Placement Settings of Children Who Entered Care During the Fiscal Year and Were Age 12 or Younger at the Time of This Placement (%)
  2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Group homes 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.2
Institution 9.2 9.0 6.4 5.3 1.9
Other settings 90.2 90.3 93.2 94.4 97.7
Missing data 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2
Number 2,836 3,133 2,979 2,146 1,884