Race of Children in Foster Care: Understanding Disparities and Statistics

When you examine the race of children in foster care, you’ll notice some disheartening disparities in the United States foster care system. Diving into these statistics can help us understand how we can better support children and improve our communities.

Number of children in foster care in the U.S. by race

The racial composition of the U.S. foster care system reveals significant disparities. By examining foster care statistics by race, we can gain insights into the disproportionality that affects children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Below are the most recent statistics from 2022, provided by the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).

• White: 156,570 children (43%)
• Black or African American: 83,085 children (23%)
• Hispanic (of any race): 79,090 children (22%)
• Two or more races: 29,466 children (8%)
• American Indian / Alaskan Native: 8,987 children (2%)
• Unknown/Unable to Determine: 7,546 children (2%)
• Asian: 1,979 children (1%)
• Native Hawaiian / other Pacific Islander: 976 children (0%)

Unpacking Entry and Exit Dynamics in Foster Care by Race

Entry Patterns in Foster Care

• White Children: With 84,004 entries, accounting for 45% of all new cases, White children are slightly overrepresented in foster care entries compared to their general population percentage.
• Black or African American Children: Representing 21% of the entries with 38,720 children, this group is significantly overrepresented relative to their percentage in the general population.
• Hispanic Children: Making up 20% of the entries with 37,008 children, Hispanic children's representation in foster care is somewhat proportional to their demographic share.

Exit Patterns from Foster Care

• White Children: Comprising 91,411 exits, making up 45% of the total, the exit data for White children aligns closely with their entry figures, indicating a proportional flow through the foster care system.
• Black or African American Children: With 40,515 exits, making up 20% of the total, there's a slight reduction from their entry percentage, but this group still experiences longer stays in foster care compared to their initial representation.
• Hispanic Children: 42,449 Hispanic children exited foster care, representing 21% of all exits. This rate is proportional to their entry percentage, suggesting a balanced movement through the foster care system.

Exploring Adoption Timelines and Disparities: Who Waits the Longest?

‍When we look at the numbers of children waiting to be adopted as of September 30, 2022, we see a clear pattern of disproportionality among different racial groups:

• Black or African American Children: Represent 21% of those waiting to be adopted, a figure that's notably higher than their proportion among new entries. This discrepancy points to a worrying trend: Black children tend to wait longer for permanent family placements than their peers.
• Hispanic Children: Make up 23% of those waiting. Similar to Black children, Hispanic children are also waiting longer for adoption, indicating potential systemic delays that extend their time in foster care.

Adoption Outcomes: A Closer Look

‍The dynamics of adoption don't always reflect the diversity of children entering foster care. Here's how the adoption rates break down:

• White Children: Account for 51% of the children adopted with public agency involvement, which is higher than their representation in foster care, indicating a higher likelihood of White children being adopted.
• Black or African American Children: Despite being overrepresented among those waiting to be adopted, only 16% of adoptions involve Black children. This lower rate of adoption highlights significant challenges in finding permanent homes, suggesting that Black children's paths to adoption are more complex and prolonged.
• Hispanic Children: Represent 20% of the adoptions, which is somewhat lower than their numbers waiting, hinting at longer waits compared to their entry into the system.

What Does This Mean?

‍These figures reveal more than just numbers; they tell us about the lives of children who spend their days hoping for a family. The overrepresentation of Black and Hispanic children in the adoption waiting list is particularly concerning and calls for a deeper investigation into why these children face longer waits. This insight is crucial for policymakers, social workers, and communities striving to make the foster care and adoption process as fair and swift as possible.

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Racial Disproportionality in Foster Care

Racial disproportionality is when a certain racial or ethnic group is overrepresented or underrepresented compared with the percentage of its total population.

For example, if black children represent 14% of all children in America, you would expect about 14% of foster care children to be black.

Anything significantly higher or lower than that percentage (14%) is a disproportionality.

Black Children are Overrepresented in Foster Care

Black children are overrepresented in foster care.

According to datacenter.kidscount.org, Black children represented 14% of the total child population in the United States (2022). However, they represented 23% of all children in foster care.

Let’s compare this with foster care numbers for other races / ethnicities:

• There are more white children in foster care than any other race. This isn’t surprising when you consider that white children make up a whopping 49% of all children in the United States. White children are actually underrepresented in foster care. Only about 43% of the foster care population was white.
• Hispanic children are underrepresented in foster care. They represent 26% of all children in the United States, but only 22% of children in foster care. This may be surprising given that many hispanic communities have suffered prejudices and disenfranchisement similar to those faced by America’s black population.
• Asian and Native Hawaiian children are also underrepresented. They make up 6% of America's children, but only 1% of the foster care population.

Compared to other races, there’s a disproportionately large number of black children who are entering and remaining in foster care.

Reasons for Racial Disproportionality in Foster Care

What causes racial disproportionality in foster care?

There are several factors that may explain why racial disproportionality exists:

• Systemic racism: According to a 2017 study, Black children are more likely to be separated from their families and placed in foster care. They’re also less likely to be reunited with their families. Child welfare professionals may knowingly or unknowingly allow their personal biases to impact their work in reporting, investigation, intervention, and placement. Black parents may also be wrongly targeted by law enforcement or suffer employment , which can increase the likelihood of a Black child being removed from a home.
• Stereotypes/biases: Black children may have a more difficult time being adopted due to stereotypes about or biases against Black people, and this causes them to remain in the system for a longer time or until they age out of it.
• Lack of Community Investment: Schools in areas with predominantly Black or Hispanic people usually get less funding than schools in predominantly White areas. Most school districts are funded largely by property taxes. Sadly, homes in black neighborhoods often suffer from biased appraisals and devaluations that hurt the ability of black communities to fund resources for their residents. With fewer educational resources, Black youth are more likely to struggle economically or become involved with the criminal justice system, creating a cycle of economic inequity.

It’s important to remember there’s no one cause for the racial disproportionality in foster care. The problem is caused by a wide range of interconnected economic and social issues.

While policy change is needed, support programs for foster children and foster families can also make a significant impact.

Penny Lane Support

Penny Lane supports foster children and foster families.

• Family Programs: Our Family Programs provide essential resources for families caring for foster children. Our programs are designed to help prepare families for the challenges of raising a foster child and in strengthening their family connections.
• In-Home Services: We provide In-Home Services to help families nurture foster children with special needs or trauma, and give post-adoption support.

Want to make a difference? Donate to Penny Lane to help us improve the lives of foster children and reduce the disproportionality in foster care and race. You can also support our mission through volunteering or mentorship.