Foster Care Rankings by State

How each state performs on key foster care outcomes. Data from AFCARS 2022.

Each list below ranks a single measured outcome (reunification, adoption, aging out, length of stay, per-capita rate, or placement stability), not an overall verdict on state child-welfare quality or child safety.

Reunification Rate

Highest % of children returning to their families

Top 5

#1 Vermont 59.4% #2 Massachusetts 58.2% #3 Rhode Island 57.8% #4 New Hampshire 57.4% #5 Maine 56.8%

Bottom 5

#47 West Virginia 42.6% #48 Alaska 43.1% #49 Mississippi 44.2% #50 New Mexico 44.6% #51 Arkansas 44.8%

Adoption Rate

Highest % of exits resulting in adoption

Top 5

#1 Idaho 28.6% #2 Kentucky 28.4% #3 Utah 28.2% #4 Alabama 28.1% #5 Indiana 27.8%

Bottom 5

#47 District of Columbia 20.6% #48 California 20.8% #49 Hawaii 21.4% #50 Massachusetts 21.6% #51 New York 21.8%

Aging Out Rate

Lowest % of youth aging out without permanency

Best 5

#1 New York 5.6% #2 Vermont 5.6% #3 Massachusetts 5.8% #4 Rhode Island 5.9% #5 Hawaii 6.1%

Worst 5

#47 West Virginia 9.8% #48 New Mexico 9.8% #49 Mississippi 9.4% #50 Alaska 9.4% #51 Montana 9.2%

Length of Stay

Shortest median months in foster care

Best 5

#1 Utah 15.6 mo #2 Idaho 16.2 mo #3 Arizona 16.8 mo #4 Texas 16.8 mo #5 Iowa 17.3 mo

Worst 5

#47 District of Columbia 26.4 mo #48 New York 23.6 mo #49 New Jersey 22.8 mo #50 West Virginia 22.6 mo #51 New Mexico 22.4 mo

Per Capita Rate

Lowest children in foster care per 1,000 children

Best 5

#1 Utah 2.1 #2 Virginia 3.0 #3 Hawaii 3.3 #4 North Carolina 3.7 #5 Texas 3.8

Worst 5

#47 West Virginia 16.2 #48 Alaska 11.8 #49 South Dakota 11.7 #50 North Dakota 10.1 #51 District of Columbia 9.5

Placement Stability

Highest % with 2 or fewer placement moves

Top 5

#1 Vermont 78.4% #2 New York 77.2% #3 Rhode Island 76.8% #4 Massachusetts 76.4% #5 New Hampshire 76.2%

Bottom 5

#47 West Virginia 64.6% #48 Alaska 65.2% #49 New Mexico 65.8% #50 Mississippi 66.4% #51 South Dakota 67.2%

Source: AFCARS 2022 data (Administration for Children and Families). See how states are graded for methodology.

Every figure on PlainFoster is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.