FY2022 AFCARS 51 jurisdictions ACF source tables

Kentucky Foster Care Data

Kentucky ranks #46 of 51 jurisdictions for reunification: 36.8% of FY2022 exits returned to a parent or primary caregiver, 8.4 points below the national rate.

Compare all states Read the source method
C
Four-measure profile grade
7,905
#17 caseload nationally
36.8%
Reunification (#46)
25.2%
Adoption (#29)

The verdict

Signature read: Kentucky's 36.8% reunification share is among the lowest in the FY2022 corpus (#46). Kentucky held 7,905 children in foster care on September 30, FY2022 and is among the lowest reunification rates nationally (#46 of 51) at 36.8%, with a C four-measure profile grade that is not an overall quality verdict.

#46
reunification rank of 51 jurisdictions
36.8%
FY2022 reunification rate
#29
adoption rank nationally
13.1 mo
median length of stay

Kentucky sits in the lower third of the FY2022 reunification distribution (36.8% of exits, #46 of 51). Median stay is short-tail at 13.1 months among exits. Profile grade C averages four within-release percentiles; it is not a federal quality verdict.

C
Four-Measure Profile Score
41/100
Kentucky

A within-release percentile composite of four AFCARS measures, not an overall quality verdict or a federal assessment. Reunification and adoption are each scored on their own percentile, never against each other.

Reunification F
36.8%
Share of FY exits to a parent or primary caretaker (AFCARS); 10th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Adoption C
25.2%
Share of FY exits finalized as adoptions (AFCARS); 44th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Aging Out D
10.6%
Share of youth exiting without permanency at majority (AFCARS); 26th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Length of Stay A
13.1 mo
Median months in care among FY exits (AFCARS); 82nd percentile among 51 jurisdictions

Aging out of foster care vs. every US state

FY2022 AFCARS: youth who exit care at majority without a permanent family

11% 25th percentile lower than 25% of 51 US states

0%–3%: 3 US states (6%). Below this entry. 3%–6%: 12 US states (24%). Below this entry. 6%–9%: 13 US states (25%). Below this entry. 9%–12%: 12 US states (24%). This entry sits in this band. 12%–15%: 5 US states (10%). Above this entry. 15%–18%: 1 US states (2%). Above this entry. 18%–21%: 3 US states (6%). Above this entry. 21%–24%: 0 US states (0%). Above this entry. 24%–27%: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. Kentucky 0% 27% every reporting state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source ACF/AFCARS state tables · FY2022

AFCARS jurisdiction row

State TAR extract KY · Kentucky C · #46 reunif

7,905 in care · 5,322 exits · FY2022

  • REUN 36.8%
  • ADOPT 25.2%
  • AGE 10.6%
  • LOS 13.1 mo
  • RANK #46/51
  • GRADE C
  • CARE 7,905
  • EXITS 5,322
  • PHOTO Washington
  • BOOK FY2022 TAR

Nearest caseload peer: Washington (144 children vs Kentucky)

The 10 coded stamps above and the extract ID beside them come from the same Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 Title-IV-E/B TAR submission, standardized so every jurisdiction's row uses identical measure definitions. Read with this state →

Reunification neighbourhood

Georgia39.4%New York39.1%Louisiana38%Alabama37.9%Michigan37.6%Kentucky36.8%
FY2022 reunification rate among Kentucky and reunification-rank peers.

AFCARS annual change

What changed from FY2021 to FY2022

The latest comparable state count pair from the U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS trend series. These are reported changes, not a quality rating or an explanation of why a count moved.

  • Children adopted

    1,212 1,339

    Rose by 127 (+10.5%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children waiting for adoption

    3,234 3,038

    Fell by 196 (−6.1%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children in care on September 30

    8,369 7,905

    Fell by 464 (−5.5%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Parental rights terminations

    2,453 2,375

    Fell by 78 (−3.2%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

How Kentucky's 5,322 FY2022 exits break down

Counts rounded from each published exit-share × 5,322 exits. Named routes do not cover every AFCARS discharge reason; the residual is other published exit routes (guardianship, transfer, and similar), not missing rows.

Two views of Kentucky's reunification-light FY2022 exit mix

Named exit shares for this jurisdiction beside reunification vs the national rate. Competing shares of one exits denominator, not a scorecard.

Kentucky exit routes

Reunification36.8%Adoption25.2%Aging out10.6%
Share of FY2022 exits (ACF AFCARS jurisdiction row).

Reunification vs national

Same reunification rate as the bar chart; tick marks the national AFCARS rate as context only.

0%60%National45%36.8%
36.8% · rank #46 · FY2022
6,0007,0008,0009,00010,000 20132022 7,162 7,905 ▲ +10.4%
AFCARS Trends · Kentucky children in care on Sep 30, years present in this extract.

Nationwide peers with similarly short stays or matching adoption share

Two AFCARS peer sets for Kentucky, nearest by metric distance rather than reunification-rank standings.

Similar median length of stay

Nearest jurisdictions by median months in care (13.1 mo here).

Ohio 13.0 mo Alabama 12.9 mo Delaware 13.5 mo Hawaii 13.7 mo

Similar adoption share of exits

Jurisdictions with a comparable adoption exit share (25.2% here).

North Dakota 25.8% California 26.0% Indiana 24.3% Georgia 24.2%

Foster-family placement mix in Kentucky

Caseload is mid-pack: 7,905 children in care on September 30 (#17 nationally). Lead setting: foster family home at 65.5%.

Foster Family Home 65.5%
Relative/Kinship Care 14.2%
Group Home or Institution 10.3%
Reunification rate 36.8%
National rate

Kentucky children returned to a parent or primary caregiver

Adoption rate 25.2%
National rate

Children exiting foster care via adoption in Kentucky

Aging-out rate 10.6%
National rate

Youth exiting foster care at age 18+ without permanency

Kentucky's decade caseload trail (mid-pack AFCARS counts)

Signature read: Kentucky's 36.8% reunification share is among the lowest in the FY2022 corpus (#46). AFCARS count series from FY2013 to FY2022 for Kentucky.

Metric FY2013 FY2015 FY2017 FY2019 FY2021 FY2022
Children Served 12,173 12,546 13,555 15,783 13,647 13,227
In Care (Sep 30) 7,162 7,538 8,146 9,148 8,369 7,905
Entered Care 5,540 5,383 6,009 6,629 5,100 4,963
Exited Care 5,011 5,008 5,409 6,635 5,278 5,322
Waiting Adoption 2,224 2,579 2,695 3,152 3,234 3,038
Adopted 797 961 1,128 1,368 1,212 1,339

Source: ACF AFCARS Trends - State Data Tables FY2013-FY2022.

Kentucky FAQ - reunification-light jurisdiction

Signature read: Kentucky's 36.8% reunification share is among the lowest in the FY2022 corpus (#46). Median stay is short-tail at 13.1 months among exits.

How many children are in foster care in Kentucky?

7,905 children were in foster care on September 30, 2022, in the FY2022 AFCARS state table.

What is Kentucky's foster care grade?

C. PlainFoster averages four FY2022 measure percentiles and assigns the displayed band from that composite.

What is the adoption rate in Kentucky?

#29 of 51 states, at 25.2%.

How does Kentucky compare to other states on aging out?

10.6% of youth age out without permanency, 1.4 points above the national rate. That is a lower rate than 25% of the 51 reporting states in FY2022 AFCARS.

Read our methodology - how Kentucky's FY2022 AFCARS row is sourced, computed, and verified.

U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 jurisdiction report for Kentucky (KY). ACF Trends in Foster Care and Adoption workbooks FY2013-FY2022; reunification share of exits stamp 36.8%.

Source: U.S. Children's Bureau (Administration for Children and Families) AFCARS workbooks and jurisdiction reports · FY2022 Kentucky rates are exits shares from the jurisdiction report; in-care counts are the September 30 stock. Caseload is mid-pack: 7,905 children in care on September 30 (#17 nationally).