FY2022 AFCARS 51 jurisdictions ACF source tables

New Jersey Foster Care Data

New Jersey ranks #35 of 51 jurisdictions for reunification: 40.5% of FY2022 exits returned to a parent or primary caregiver, 4.7 points below the national rate.

Compare all states Read the source method
C
Four-measure profile grade
2,786
#36 caseload nationally
40.5%
Reunification (#35)
31.9%
Adoption (#12)

The verdict

Signature read: adoption at 31.9% (#12) is New Jersey's most extreme exit share in FY2022. New Jersey held 2,786 children in foster care on September 30, FY2022 and trails most jurisdictions on reunification (#35 of 51) at 40.5%, with a C four-measure profile grade that is not an overall quality verdict.

#35
reunification rank of 51 jurisdictions
40.5%
FY2022 reunification rate
#12
adoption rank nationally
20.7 mo
median length of stay

New Jersey sits in the lower third of the FY2022 reunification distribution (40.5% of exits, #35 of 51). Median stay is long-tail at 20.7 months among exits. Profile grade C averages four within-release percentiles; it is not a federal quality verdict.

C
Four-Measure Profile Score
44/100
New Jersey

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 D
40.5%
Share of FY exits to a parent or primary caretaker (AFCARS); 32nd percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Adoption B
31.9%
Share of FY exits finalized as adoptions (AFCARS); 78th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Aging Out D
9.3%
Share of youth exiting without permanency at majority (AFCARS); 38th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Length of Stay D
20.7 mo
Median months in care among FY exits (AFCARS); 26th 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

9% 37th percentile lower than 37% 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. New Jersey 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 NJ · New Jersey C · #35 reunif

2,786 in care · 1,844 exits · FY2022

  • REUN 40.5%
  • ADOPT 31.9%
  • AGE 9.3%
  • LOS 20.7 mo
  • RANK #35/51
  • GRADE C
  • CARE 2,786
  • EXITS 1,844
  • PHOTO Alaska
  • BOOK FY2022 TAR

Nearest caseload peer: Alaska (96 children vs New Jersey)

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

Rhode Isl…43.2%Tennessee43.1%Florida42.5%Pennsylva…42%Oklahoma41.1%New Jersey40.5%
FY2022 reunification rate among New Jersey 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 waiting for adoption

    1,372 1,061

    Fell by 311 (−22.7%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Parental rights terminations

    512 444

    Fell by 68 (−13.3%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children in care on September 30

    3,188 2,786

    Fell by 402 (−12.6%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children served

    5,287 4,625

    Fell by 662 (−12.5%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

How New Jersey's 1,844 FY2022 exits break down

Counts rounded from each published exit-share × 1,844 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 New Jersey'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.

New Jersey exit routes

Reunification40.5%Adoption31.9%Aging out9.3%
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%40.5%
40.5% · rank #35 · FY2022
2,0004,0006,0008,000 20132022 6,946 2,786 ▼ -59.9%
AFCARS Trends · New Jersey children in care on Sep 30, years present in this extract.

Nationwide peers with similarly long stays or matching adoption share

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

Similar median length of stay

Nearest jurisdictions by median months in care (20.7 mo here).

Oklahoma 20.9 mo Kansas 21.0 mo New York 20.3 mo Massachusetts 20.2 mo

Similar adoption share of exits

Jurisdictions with a comparable adoption exit share (31.9% here).

Arizona 31.8% Florida 33.2% Arkansas 29.6% Mississippi 29.5%

Foster-family placement mix in New Jersey

Caseload is sparse-system scale: 2,786 children in care on September 30 (#36 nationally). Lead setting: foster family home at 51.9%.

Foster Family Home 51.9%
Relative/Kinship Care 39.8%
Group Home or Institution 7.1%
Reunification rate 40.5%
National rate

New Jersey children returned to a parent or primary caregiver

Adoption rate 31.9%
National rate

Children exiting foster care via adoption in New Jersey

Aging-out rate 9.3%
National rate

Youth exiting foster care at age 18+ without permanency

New Jersey's decade caseload trail (sparse-system AFCARS counts)

Signature read: adoption at 31.9% (#12) is New Jersey's most extreme exit share in FY2022. AFCARS count series from FY2013 to FY2022 for New Jersey.

Metric FY2013 FY2015 FY2017 FY2019 FY2021 FY2022
Children Served 12,043 11,617 10,131 8,116 5,287 4,625
In Care (Sep 30) 6,946 6,874 5,946 4,430 3,188 2,786
Entered Care 5,361 4,594 3,726 2,679 1,534 1,468
Exited Care 5,136 4,760 4,196 3,700 2,100 1,844
Waiting Adoption 2,443 2,698 2,479 1,895 1,372 1,061
Adopted 927 1,072 1,106 1,162 639 569

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

New Jersey FAQ - reunification-light jurisdiction

Signature read: adoption at 31.9% (#12) is New Jersey's most extreme exit share in FY2022. Median stay is long-tail at 20.7 months among exits.

How many children are in foster care in New Jersey?

2,786 children were in foster care on September 30, 2022, in the FY2022 AFCARS state table.

What is New Jersey'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 New Jersey?

#12 of 51 states, at 31.9%.

How does New Jersey compare to other states on aging out?

9.3% of youth age out without permanency, 0.1 points above the national rate. That is a lower rate than 37% of the 51 reporting states in FY2022 AFCARS.

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

U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 jurisdiction report for New Jersey (NJ). ACF Trends in Foster Care and Adoption workbooks FY2013-FY2022; adoption share of exits stamp 31.9%.

Source: U.S. Children's Bureau (Administration for Children and Families) AFCARS workbooks and jurisdiction reports · FY2022 New Jersey rates are exits shares from the jurisdiction report; in-care counts are the September 30 stock. Caseload is sparse-system scale: 2,786 children in care on September 30 (#36 nationally).