FY2022 AFCARS 51 jurisdictions ACF source tables

Missouri Foster Care Data

Missouri ranks #27 of 51 jurisdictions for reunification: 44.8% of FY2022 exits returned to a parent or primary caregiver, 0.4 points below the national rate.

Compare all states Read the source method
D
Four-measure profile grade
12,514
#7 caseload nationally
44.8%
Reunification (#27)
22.3%
Adoption (#36)

The verdict

Signature read: the September 30 stock (12,514 children, #7) is Missouri's most extreme scale stamp. Missouri held 12,514 children in foster care on September 30, FY2022 and trails most jurisdictions on reunification (#27 of 51) at 44.8%, with a D four-measure profile grade that is not an overall quality verdict.

#27
reunification rank of 51 jurisdictions
44.8%
FY2022 reunification rate
#36
adoption rank nationally
19.1 mo
median length of stay

Missouri's reunification share (44.8%) lands in the middle third of the FY2022 jurisdiction table (#27 of 51). Caseload is large-system scale: 12,514 children in care on September 30 (#7 nationally). Median stay is mid-band at 19.1 months among exits. Grade D is a within-release composite, not an official assessment.

D
Four-Measure Profile Score
36/100
Missouri

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 C
44.8%
Share of FY exits to a parent or primary caretaker (AFCARS); 49th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Adoption D
22.3%
Share of FY exits finalized as adoptions (AFCARS); 30th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Aging Out D
9.8%
Share of youth exiting without permanency at majority (AFCARS); 34th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Length of Stay D
19.1 mo
Median months in care among FY exits (AFCARS); 32nd 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

10% 33rd percentile lower than 33% 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. Missouri 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 MO · Missouri D · #27 reunif

12,514 in care · 6,310 exits · FY2022

  • REUN 44.8%
  • ADOPT 22.3%
  • AGE 9.8%
  • LOS 19.1 mo
  • RANK #27/51
  • GRADE D
  • CARE 12,514
  • EXITS 6,310
  • PHOTO Pennsylvania
  • BOOK FY2022 TAR

Nearest caseload peer: Pennsylvania (49 children vs Missouri)

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

South Dak…48.1%Arizona47.2%West Virg…47.1%Iowa45.9%Missouri44.8%Maine44.8%
FY2022 reunification rate among Missouri 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 entering care

    6,819 5,876

    Fell by 943 (−13.8%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children waiting for adoption

    2,677 2,451

    Fell by 226 (−8.4%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Parental rights terminations

    854 795

    Fell by 59 (−6.9%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children in care on September 30

    13,194 12,514

    Fell by 680 (−5.2%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

How Missouri's 6,310 FY2022 exits break down

Counts rounded from each published exit-share × 6,310 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 Missouri's mid-band FY2022 exit mix

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

Missouri exit routes

Reunification44.8%Adoption22.3%Aging out9.8%
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%44.8%
44.8% · rank #27 · FY2022
10,00011,00012,00013,00014,000 20132022 10,624 12,514 ▲ +17.8%
AFCARS Trends · Missouri children in care on Sep 30, years present in this extract.

Nationwide peers with similar stay length or adoption share

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

Similar median length of stay

Nearest jurisdictions by median months in care (19.1 mo here).

Alaska 19.0 mo North Carolina 18.3 mo California 18.3 mo Massachusetts 20.2 mo

Similar adoption share of exits

Jurisdictions with a comparable adoption exit share (22.3% here).

Oregon 22.0% Nebraska 21.9% Alaska 22.8% Minnesota 23.0%

Kinship-led placement mix in Missouri

Caseload is large-system scale: 12,514 children in care on September 30 (#7 nationally). Lead setting: relative/kinship care at 40.2%.

Foster Family Home 29.3%
Relative/Kinship Care 40.2%
Group Home or Institution 6.1%
Reunification rate 44.8%
National rate

Missouri children returned to a parent or primary caregiver

Adoption rate 22.3%
National rate

Children exiting foster care via adoption in Missouri

Aging-out rate 9.8%
National rate

Youth exiting foster care at age 18+ without permanency

Missouri's decade caseload trail (large-system AFCARS counts)

Signature read: the September 30 stock (12,514 children, #7) is Missouri's most extreme scale stamp. AFCARS count series from FY2013 to FY2022 for Missouri.

Metric FY2013 FY2015 FY2017 FY2019 FY2021 FY2022
Children Served 16,191 18,678 19,030 19,327 19,340 18,824
In Care (Sep 30) 10,624 12,160 12,390 12,685 13,194 12,514
Entered Care 6,401 6,906 6,774 6,889 6,819 5,876
Exited Care 5,567 6,519 6,640 6,642 6,146 6,310
Waiting Adoption 2,162 2,513 2,825 2,745 2,677 2,451
Adopted 1,233 1,357 1,541 1,820 1,419 1,470

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

Missouri FAQ - mid-band jurisdiction

Signature read: the September 30 stock (12,514 children, #7) is Missouri's most extreme scale stamp. Median stay is mid-band at 19.1 months among exits.

How many children are in foster care in Missouri?

12,514 children were in foster care on September 30, 2022, in the FY2022 AFCARS state table.

What is Missouri's foster care grade?

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

What is the adoption rate in Missouri?

#36 of 51 states, at 22.3%.

How does Missouri compare to other states on aging out?

9.8% of youth age out without permanency, 0.6 points above the national rate. That is a lower rate than 33% of the 51 reporting states in FY2022 AFCARS.

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

U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 jurisdiction report for Missouri (MO). ACF Trends in Foster Care and Adoption workbooks FY2013-FY2022; September 30 caseload stamp 12,514.

Source: U.S. Children's Bureau (Administration for Children and Families) AFCARS workbooks and jurisdiction reports · FY2022 Missouri rates are exits shares from the jurisdiction report; in-care counts are the September 30 stock. Caseload is large-system scale: 12,514 children in care on September 30 (#7 nationally).