Children Waiting for Adoption

Notes

There is no federal definition for a child 'waiting for adoption.' The definition used in the Child Welfare Outcomes Report 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.