Number Of Youth In Foster Care Up 1.5% In A Year; 36% Of New Entries Due To Parental Drug Use

During 2017, 1.5% more youth were in foster care than in 2016, rising from 436,551 in 2016 to 442,995 in 2017. About 36% of the new entries into foster care were due to parental drug use. The number of new entries into foster care declined 1.2%, from 272,952 in 2016 to 269,690 in 2017.

These statistics were reported in “Preliminary Estimates Of Adoption & Foster Care Analysis & Reporting System (AFCARS) Data For Fiscal Year 2017” by the Children’s Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families. The report reflects all AFCARS data . . .