AFCARS · FY2021→FY2022

Foster-Care Entry Change Rankings

Year-over-year change in children newly placed into foster care across 51 jurisdictions with ≥100 entries in FY2021. Same foster_trends entered series each state page shows.

+29.9%
Largest rise · Louisiana
-37.3%
Largest decline · Texas
51
Jurisdictions with both years (≥100 prior)

Louisiana posted the largest foster-care entry increase among 51 jurisdictions with ≥100 prior-year entries from FY2021 to FY2022: +29.9%. The #50 cutoff on this rising board is -22.2%.

FY2021→FY2022 foster-care entry change

Louisiana leads this board at +29.9% (2,358 → 3,064 entries). The 50th-place cutoff to appear on the rising list is -22.2%; Texas sits at the other end at -37.3%.

+29.9%
#1 rise · Louisiana
-22.2%
#50 cutoff, rising board
-37.3%
Largest decline · Texas
51
Jurisdictions with a prior-year pair (≥100)

An entry is a placement event recorded in AFCARS during the federal fiscal year (Oct 1–Sep 30), not a quality grade and not a live caseload. Counts describe the published extract, not today's system. PlainFoster does not license, place, or advise on individual cases.

Largest foster-care entry increases

Top 12 of 50 jurisdictions on the rising board. Sort key is percent change in foster_trends.entered, FY2022 versus FY2021.

Largest YoY foster-care entry increases, FY2022

1. LA+29.9%2. DE+25.9%3. NH+25.2%4. ME+24.3%5. GA+12.8%6. VT+7.8%7. CT+7.0%8. MS+6.0%9. SC+5.9%10. RI+4.5%11. VA+1.6%12. OK+1.1%
Source: AFCARS foster_trends entered series via PlainFoster, FY2021–FY2022. Floor: ≥100 entries in FY2021.

50 steepest increases

# State YoY Entries
1 Louisiana +29.9% 2,358→3,064
2 Delaware +25.9% 294→370
3 New Hampshire +25.2% 591→740
4 Maine +24.3% 909→1,130
5 Georgia +12.8% 4,718→5,321
6 Vermont +7.8% 591→637
7 Connecticut +7.0% 1,168→1,250
8 Mississippi +6.0% 2,029→2,150
9 South Carolina +5.9% 2,709→2,868
10 Rhode Island +4.5% 777→812
11 Virginia +1.6% 2,335→2,372
12 Oklahoma +1.1% 3,472→3,509
13 Maryland +0.2% 1,538→1,541
14 Wisconsin -0.0% 3,616→3,615
15 New Mexico -0.2% 929→927
16 Kansas -2.4% 3,172→3,096
17 Kentucky -2.7% 5,100→4,963
18 New York -4.0% 6,353→6,097
19 Utah -4.1% 1,522→1,459
20 New Jersey -4.3% 1,534→1,468
21 Oregon -4.8% 2,413→2,297
22 Nebraska -5.1% 2,032→1,929
23 West Virginia -5.1% 4,710→4,471
24 Michigan -5.5% 3,837→3,625
25 North Dakota -6.0% 950→893
26 Nevada -6.0% 2,820→2,650
27 Pennsylvania -6.4% 7,434→6,961
28 South Dakota -6.5% 1,013→947
29 Iowa -7.1% 2,904→2,699
30 North Carolina -7.2% 5,522→5,124
31 Minnesota -7.4% 4,552→4,213
32 Ohio -7.7% 10,505→9,701
33 Alabama -7.7% 3,631→3,350
34 Washington -8.6% 3,849→3,518
35 Tennessee -9.1% 6,185→5,621
36 California -10.0% 22,892→20,609
37 Colorado -12.6% 3,542→3,097
38 Hawaii -12.6% 1,037→906
39 Massachusetts -12.8% 4,400→3,836
40 Alaska -13.1% 1,324→1,151
41 Wyoming -13.5% 828→716
42 Missouri -13.8% 6,819→5,876
43 Indiana -14.8% 7,291→6,212
44 Florida -16.1% 13,212→11,088
45 Montana -17.6% 1,697→1,398
46 Illinois -17.7% 6,944→5,718
47 Arizona -17.9% 8,368→6,874
48 Idaho -18.2% 1,346→1,101
49 Arkansas -21.2% 2,964→2,336
50 District of Columbia -22.2% 243→189

50 steepest declines

# State YoY Entries
1 Texas -37.3% 15,127→9,486
2 District of Columbia -22.2% 243→189
3 Arkansas -21.2% 2,964→2,336
4 Idaho -18.2% 1,346→1,101
5 Arizona -17.9% 8,368→6,874
6 Illinois -17.7% 6,944→5,718
7 Montana -17.6% 1,697→1,398
8 Florida -16.1% 13,212→11,088
9 Indiana -14.8% 7,291→6,212
10 Missouri -13.8% 6,819→5,876
11 Wyoming -13.5% 828→716
12 Alaska -13.1% 1,324→1,151
13 Massachusetts -12.8% 4,400→3,836
14 Hawaii -12.6% 1,037→906
15 Colorado -12.6% 3,542→3,097
16 California -10.0% 22,892→20,609
17 Tennessee -9.1% 6,185→5,621
18 Washington -8.6% 3,849→3,518
19 Alabama -7.7% 3,631→3,350
20 Ohio -7.7% 10,505→9,701
21 Minnesota -7.4% 4,552→4,213
22 North Carolina -7.2% 5,522→5,124
23 Iowa -7.1% 2,904→2,699
24 South Dakota -6.5% 1,013→947
25 Pennsylvania -6.4% 7,434→6,961
26 Nevada -6.0% 2,820→2,650
27 North Dakota -6.0% 950→893
28 Michigan -5.5% 3,837→3,625
29 West Virginia -5.1% 4,710→4,471
30 Nebraska -5.1% 2,032→1,929
31 Oregon -4.8% 2,413→2,297
32 New Jersey -4.3% 1,534→1,468
33 Utah -4.1% 1,522→1,459
34 New York -4.0% 6,353→6,097
35 Kentucky -2.7% 5,100→4,963
36 Kansas -2.4% 3,172→3,096
37 New Mexico -0.2% 929→927
38 Wisconsin -0.0% 3,616→3,615
39 Maryland +0.2% 1,538→1,541
40 Oklahoma +1.1% 3,472→3,509
41 Virginia +1.6% 2,335→2,372
42 Rhode Island +4.5% 777→812
43 South Carolina +5.9% 2,709→2,868
44 Mississippi +6.0% 2,029→2,150
45 Connecticut +7.0% 1,168→1,250
46 Vermont +7.8% 591→637
47 Georgia +12.8% 4,718→5,321
48 Maine +24.3% 909→1,130
49 New Hampshire +25.2% 591→740
50 Delaware +25.9% 294→370

Single-year exit-path boards still live on foster care rankings. Source: U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS jurisdiction reports.

According to the U.S. Children's Bureau (Administration for Children and Families), foster-care counts and discharge outcomes are published in AFCARS workbooks and jurisdiction reports. Every figure on PlainFoster is rebuilt from those federal tables; no number is typed in by an editor. YoY percentages compare consecutive federal fiscal-year entered counts in foster_trends for the same jurisdiction. Floor: ≥100 entries in FY2021. Not a quality score. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-30. AFCARS figures are federal fiscal-year foster-care counts and discharge rates from jurisdiction reports - not child-welfare quality rankings, court-performance scores, case-level advice, or real-time caseload status.