Placement Stability by State
% of children with 2 or fewer placement moves. FY2022 data — all states ranked.
71.7%
National Average
78.4%
Highest
64.6%
Lowest (Worst)
▲ Good
Higher = Better
What the FY2022 Placement Stability Data Reveals
Across all 51 reporting states and the District of Columbia, placement stability averaged 71.7% in FY2022. The best-performing state — Vermont — recorded 78.4%, while the weakest result was 64.6%. For this metric, higher values indicate stronger outcomes for children and families, because % of children with 2 or fewer placement moves. The gap between best and worst — 13.8% — shows how much practice, policy, and funding differ across jurisdictions even under the same federal AFCARS reporting framework.
Placement Stability is one of eight core performance indicators PlainFoster tracks from the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). States submit this data annually to the Administration for Children and Families. The FY2022 reporting cycle covers the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2022. State-level variation reflects differences in caseload sizes, caseworker staffing ratios, availability of family support and kinship resources, court system throughput, and state statutory definitions of reunification, adoption, and permanency. No single metric captures child welfare performance in isolation — PlainFoster combines reunification, adoption, aging out, placement stability, length of stay, re-entry, timely permanency, and maltreatment recurrence into each state's letter grade.
When reading the rankings table below, bear in mind that states operating under consent decrees, recent legislative reforms, or significant caseload shifts may show year-over-year changes that don't reflect long-term trends. A state ranking high on reunification may rank lower on placement stability, and vice versa — trade-offs are common in child welfare policy. Percentages express the share of applicable children or cases meeting the criterion. This data is informational and does not substitute for child welfare agency consultation, state caseworker guidance, or legal advice in specific foster care situations. Use it to understand how your state compares and where federal and state-level improvement efforts are most needed.
All States — Ranked by Placement Stability
| # | State | Grade | Placement Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | A | 78.4% |
| 2 | New York | A | 77.2% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | A | 76.8% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | A | 76.4% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | A | 76.2% |
| 6 | Maine | A | 75.8% |
| 7 | New Jersey | B | 75.6% |
| 8 | Washington | B | 75.2% |
| 9 | Hawaii | A | 75.1% |
| 10 | Minnesota | B | 74.8% |
| 11 | Iowa | B | 74.6% |
| 12 | Virginia | B | 74.4% |
| 13 | Connecticut | A | 74.2% |
| 14 | Utah | B | 74.2% |
| 15 | Maryland | B | 73.8% |
| 16 | Oregon | B | 73.6% |
| 17 | California | B | 73.4% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | B | 73.2% |
| 19 | Nebraska | B | 72.8% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | B | 72.8% |
| 21 | Delaware | B | 72.6% |
| 22 | District of Columbia | B | 72.4% |
| 23 | Illinois | B | 72.3% |
| 24 | Michigan | B | 72.1% |
| 25 | Idaho | B | 71.8% |
| 26 | North Carolina | B | 71.6% |
| 27 | Kansas | B | 71.4% |
| 28 | Arizona | B | 71.2% |
| 29 | Texas | B | 71.2% |
| 30 | Colorado | B | 70.8% |
| 31 | Wyoming | B | 70.8% |
| 32 | Ohio | B | 70.6% |
| 33 | Missouri | B | 70.2% |
| 34 | Georgia | B | 70.1% |
| 35 | Florida | B | 69.8% |
| 36 | South Carolina | B | 69.8% |
| 37 | Nevada | B | 69.6% |
| 38 | Alabama | B | 69.4% |
| 39 | North Dakota | B | 69.4% |
| 40 | Tennessee | B | 69.4% |
| 41 | Indiana | B | 69.2% |
| 42 | Montana | B | 68.6% |
| 43 | Louisiana | B | 68.4% |
| 44 | Oklahoma | B | 68.2% |
| 45 | Arkansas | C | 68.1% |
| 46 | Kentucky | B | 67.8% |
| 47 | South Dakota | B | 67.2% |
| 48 | Mississippi | C | 66.4% |
| 49 | New Mexico | C | 65.8% |
| 50 | Alaska | C | 65.2% |
| 51 | West Virginia | C | 64.6% |
Other Metrics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is placement stability in foster care?
% of children with 2 or fewer placement moves. This metric is tracked by the federal Administration for Children and Families through the AFCARS reporting system, with all states required to submit data annually.
Which state has the best placement stability?
The top-ranked state for placement stability is Vermont at 78.4%. Higher values indicate better outcomes. The national average is 71.7%.
How is placement stability calculated?
Placement Stability is calculated from AFCARS data submitted by state child welfare agencies to the Administration for Children and Families. It measures % of children with 2 or fewer placement moves. The FY2022 data reflects the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2022.
Why does placement stability vary so much between states?
State-level variation reflects differences in child welfare policies, funding, caseload sizes, availability of family support services, and how states define and report outcomes. States with stronger family preservation programs and kinship care resources tend to have more favorable metrics.
Foster Care Guides
Becoming a Foster Parent
State requirements, training, and home studies
Youth Aging Out of Care
Statistics and supports for youth leaving at 18
Foster Care vs Adoption
Key differences between foster care and adoption
How States Are Graded
Methodology behind PlainFoster grades
Understanding the System
How the U.S. foster care system works
Explore Related Data
Source: Administration for Children and Families, AFCARS Report FY2022. acf.hhs.gov
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic + housing + income data. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage + employment by occupation. bls.gov/oes
- BEA Regional Economic Accounts — GDP + personal income by state/metro. bea.gov/data/regional
- U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns — establishment + employment by industry. census.gov/cbp
- IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-return aggregate data. irs.gov/statistics
- data.gov — U.S. federal open-data portal — discovery layer for additional federal sources. data.gov
Related
Source: U.S. ACF — AFCARS Foster Care Reports Foster care placement, exit, and outcome statistics · 2025