National verdict
FY2022 AFCARS shows 32.5% of children in foster care placed with relatives on average across jurisdictions, but the spread is enormous: West Virginia leads at 53.2% while Tennessee sit near 1.7%.
- 32.5%
- mean relative share
- 53.2%
- West Virginia high
- 1.7%
- Tennessee low
- 51
- jurisdictions
Each share is the relative foster-family placement count divided by children in care on September 30 in the same jurisdiction report, a descriptive snapshot, not a quality score.
Mean relative share
32.5%
FY2022 · 50 states + D.C.
Highest jurisdiction
53.2%
West Virginia
Lowest jurisdiction
1.7%
Tennessee
Where kinship placements cluster
Why kinship placement share matters
When a child is removed from their home, the child welfare system chooses between non-relative foster families and relative caregivers. AFCARS publishes how many children were in relative foster-family placements on September 30 each federal fiscal year. PlainFoster turns that into a share of each jurisdiction's in-care population.
Research literature often associates kinship placements with fewer moves and stronger family ties, but this guide stays inside what the federal tables actually show. A higher share describes the placement mix at the snapshot; it does not prove that a state's policy caused better outcomes.
How PlainFoster calculates the share
For each FY2022 jurisdiction report, PlainFoster divides the relative foster-family placement count by the children-in-care count on September 30. The result appears on every state hub and feeds the chart above.
What it tells you: Where children were placed at the report snapshot. The measure is comparable across jurisdictions but descriptive only.
What it does not tell you: How many informal kinship arrangements exist outside the foster system, whether relatives were licensed, or whether a low share reflects policy, housing, or case mix.
Formal vs informal kinship tracks
Agency publications distinguish court-ordered, licensed kinship foster care from private arrangements without a court order. The formal track typically carries foster maintenance payments and caseworker oversight; the informal track may only reach TANF child-only grants or no cash assistance at all.
| Dimension | Formal (licensed) kinship | Informal kinship |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Court-ordered placement, licensed foster home | Private arrangement, no court order |
| Monthly stipend | Foster maintenance rate (jurisdiction schedule) | Often none; may qualify for TANF child-only |
| Medical coverage | Medicaid via foster care | Varies by state program rules |
| Caseworker support | Assigned worker, regular visits | None unless family seeks services |
This comparison uses Generations United grandfamilies reports and Child Welfare Information Gateway program descriptions. It is not individual case advice.
Reading the spread without inventing causes
The chart above is a September 30 placement mix, not a quality score. A jurisdiction near the top of the relative-share board is telling you that, among children already in foster care on that day, a larger fraction lived with relatives. It does not prove that relatives were recruited more aggressively, that licensing was easier, or that informal kin networks outside the system were larger.
The opposite is also true. A low relative share can reflect housing scarcity among kin, licensing barriers, case-mix differences, or simply more use of non-relative foster homes. PlainFoster keeps the measure descriptive for that reason: the federal table answers "where were children placed," not "why."
When you open a state hub, read the relative-placement share next to children in care, exits, and reunification. A high kinship share on a small in-care base is a different story than the same share on a large caseload. Cross-check the methodology page if you need the exact numerator and denominator PlainFoster uses for every row.
Frequently asked questions
What is kinship care in foster care?
Kinship care is when a child in foster care is placed with a relative or close family friend rather than a non-related foster family, either as a licensed, agency-supervised placement or an informal arrangement.
What percentage of foster children are in kinship care?
FY2022 AFCARS jurisdiction reports show an unweighted mean of 32.5% across the 50 states and D.C. West Virginia leads at 53.2%; Tennessee is lowest at 1.7%. See each state's share on PlainFoster state pages.
Do kinship caregivers get paid?
Licensed kinship foster parents receive maintenance payments at the same rates as other foster families. Informal caregivers may qualify for TANF child-only grants. Current dollar amounts belong in each jurisdiction's published rate schedule.