The FY2022 picture
According to Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 jurisdiction reports, aging out is the smallest of the documented exit routes and the only one with no permanent family attached to it: 9.2% of exits, about 18,500 young people, state rates span 1.5% to 25.8% (17.2×).
- 9.2%
- Of all foster care exits
- ~18,500
- Young people, FY2022
- 25.7%
- Highest state (Maryland)
- 17.2×
- State rate spread
Shares come from this portal's AFCARS national summary and state jurisdiction rows. Outcome research quoted further down is published study evidence, not an AFCARS measure.
Two views of the same emancipation share
Highest-rate jurisdictions beside the national emancipation share of exits. Both use the FY2022 AFCARS rebuild; neither is a child-welfare quality score.
Where young people age out most often
National emancipation share of exits
Same FY2022 national_aging_out_rate as the synthesis above; tick marks the highest ranked state only as context, not a target.
The Aging-Out Process
In most states, young people in foster care "age out" when they turn 18. At that point, they are legally adults and the state's responsibility as guardian ends, unless extended foster care is available and the youth opts in.
Unlike peers who have family support networks to fall back on, youth aging out of foster care must navigate housing, employment, education, and healthcare largely on their own.
How aging out sits beside other exits
Emancipation is not the dominant way children leave foster care. In the FY2022 AFCARS jurisdiction reports that PlainFoster rebuilds, reunification accounts for 45.2% of exits and adoption for 26.3%. Aging out is 9.2% nationally, the smallest of those three named routes and the only one that does not attach a permanent family to the exit.
That ordering matters for reading the ranked board below. A state with a high aging-out share is not automatically "worse" on every child-welfare dimension; it may simply move fewer children into reunification or adoption in the same release. Compare the emancipation rate next to reunification and adoption on the matching aging-out metric page and the state profile before treating any single number as a verdict.
Small-denominator jurisdictions are already filtered from the rate board (fewer than 500 exits). Even among ranked rows, a few emancipation cases can move the percentage, so treat rank #1 as a snapshot, not a fixed league table.
Research on Outcomes
Follow-up studies of youth who aged out, especially Chapin Hall's Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth, document harder adult transitions than peers who never entered care. Those findings are study evidence, not AFCARS exit shares:
- Elevated homelessness risk in the first years after leaving care
- Lower employment rates in the mid-20s than non-foster peers
- Higher justice-system contact and early parenthood in several cohorts
- Higher reported PTSD symptoms in some samples
Read those study papers for sample design and exact percentages. Do not treat them as the same measure as the FY2022 emancipation rate above.
Extended Foster Care
Recognizing these challenges, the federal government has expanded support for extended foster care. Under the Fostering Connections to Success Act (2008) and subsequent legislation, states can receive federal reimbursement for youth remaining in care up to age 21.
Youth must typically be enrolled in school, employed, or have a documented disability to qualify. Take-up rates vary significantly, some states extend care to very few youth, while others have high participation.
Available Support Programs
The John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood provides annual federal funding for states to help youth transition from care. This includes:
- Education and training vouchers (up to $5,000/year for post-secondary education)
- Life skills training
- Housing assistance and supportive housing programs
- Youth development services
- Mentorship programs
What States Can Do
States with lower aging-out rates tend to invest more heavily in:
- Concurrent planning, simultaneously pursuing reunification AND alternative permanency
- Kinship care programs that keep youth connected to family
- Adoption incentives for older youth (12+)
- Strong Chafee program implementation
- Youth advisory boards that give foster youth a voice in system improvement
States with Highest Aging-Out Rates
FY2022 AFCARS · jurisdictions with ≥500 exits only (Delaware and D.C. omitted, rates with ~250 exits swing sharply). #1 can still move if a few emancipation cases change.
All states ranked →Frequently Asked Questions
What does "aging out" mean?
Aging out refers to the process where a young person leaves foster care at the age of majority (18 in most states, though many states allow extension to 21) without being permanently placed with a family through reunification, adoption, or guardianship.
How many youth age out of foster care each year?
About 18,500 young people aged out of foster care in FY2022, 9.2% of all exits recorded in the AFCARS jurisdiction reports.
What challenges do youth who age out face?
Longitudinal follow-ups such as Chapin Hall's Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth report elevated homelessness, unemployment, justice involvement, and early parenthood relative to peers who never entered care. Those study outcomes are not AFCARS measures.
Are there supports available for youth aging out?
Yes. The Fostering Connections to Success Act and John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood provide funding for states to offer housing assistance, education support, job training, and other services to youth transitioning out of care, typically up to age 21 or 23.
Can youth stay in foster care past 18?
Many states have extended foster care to age 21, and some to 23, particularly for youth in school, vocational training, or experiencing hardship. As of 2023, all states are eligible for federal reimbursement for extended foster care to age 21 under the Family First Act.