FY2022 AFCARS 51 jurisdictions ACF source tables

South Dakota Foster Care Data

South Dakota ranks #22 of 51 jurisdictions for reunification: 48.1% of FY2022 exits returned to a parent or primary caregiver, 2.9 points above the national rate.

Compare all states Read the source method
C
Four-measure profile grade
1,615
#43 caseload nationally
48.1%
Reunification (#22)
26.3%
Adoption (#26)

The verdict

Signature read: the September 30 stock (1,615 children, #43) is South Dakota's sparsest scale stamp. South Dakota held 1,615 children in foster care on September 30, FY2022 and ranks near the national median on reunification (#22 of 51) at 48.1%, with a C four-measure profile grade that is not an overall quality verdict.

#22
reunification rank of 51 jurisdictions
48.1%
FY2022 reunification rate
#26
adoption rank nationally
16.3 mo
median length of stay

South Dakota's reunification share (48.1%) lands in the middle third of the FY2022 jurisdiction table (#22 of 51). Caseload is sparse-system scale: 1,615 children in care on September 30 (#43 nationally). Median stay is mid-band at 16.3 months among exits. Grade C is a within-release composite, not an official assessment.

C
Four-Measure Profile Score
56/100
South Dakota

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
48.1%
Share of FY exits to a parent or primary caretaker (AFCARS); 58th percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Adoption C
26.3%
Share of FY exits finalized as adoptions (AFCARS); 51st percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Aging Out C
7.1%
Share of youth exiting without permanency at majority (AFCARS); 53rd percentile among 51 jurisdictions
Length of Stay B
16.3 mo
Median months in care among FY exits (AFCARS); 62nd 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

7% Among the lowest aging-out rates lower than 51% 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%). This entry sits in this band. 9%–12%: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry. 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. South Dakota 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 SD · South Dakota C · #22 reunif

1,615 in care · 938 exits · FY2022

  • REUN 48.1%
  • ADOPT 26.3%
  • AGE 7.1%
  • LOS 16.3 mo
  • RANK #22/51
  • GRADE C
  • CARE 1,615
  • EXITS 938
  • PHOTO Idaho
  • BOOK FY2022 TAR

Nearest caseload peer: Idaho (67 children vs South Dakota)

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

Alaska49.5%Vermont49.2%North Dak…48.8%South Car…48.7%Oregon48.5%South Dak…48.1%
FY2022 reunification rate among South Dakota 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

    222 247

    Rose by 25 (+11.3%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children entering care

    1,013 947

    Fell by 66 (−6.5%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children exiting care

    982 938

    Fell by 44 (−4.5%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

  • Children waiting for adoption

    485 503

    Rose by 18 (+3.7%) across the FY2021–FY2022 pair.

How South Dakota's 938 FY2022 exits break down

Counts rounded from each published exit-share × 938 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 South Dakota'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.

South Dakota exit routes

Reunification48.1%Adoption26.3%Aging out7.1%
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%48.1%
48.1% · rank #22 · FY2022
1,0001,2001,4001,6001,800 20132022 1,253 1,615 ▲ +28.9%
AFCARS Trends · South Dakota 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 South Dakota, nearest by metric distance rather than reunification-rank standings.

Similar median length of stay

Nearest jurisdictions by median months in care (16.3 mo here).

Indiana 16.8 mo Arizona 16.9 mo Nevada 15.7 mo Vermont 17.0 mo

Similar adoption share of exits

Jurisdictions with a comparable adoption exit share (26.3% here).

Idaho 26.3% North Carolina 26.6% Louisiana 26.6% California 26.0%

Foster-family placement mix in South Dakota

Caseload is sparse-system scale: 1,615 children in care on September 30 (#43 nationally). Lead setting: foster family home at 48.8%.

Foster Family Home 48.8%
Relative/Kinship Care 24.5%
Group Home or Institution 15.2%
Reunification rate 48.1%
National rate

South Dakota children returned to a parent or primary caregiver

Adoption rate 26.3%
National rate

Children exiting foster care via adoption in South Dakota

Aging-out rate 7.1%
National rate

Youth exiting foster care at age 18+ without permanency

South Dakota's decade caseload trail (sparse-system AFCARS counts)

Signature read: the September 30 stock (1,615 children, #43) is South Dakota's sparsest scale stamp. AFCARS count series from FY2013 to FY2022 for South Dakota.

Metric FY2013 FY2015 FY2017 FY2019 FY2021 FY2022
Children Served 2,296 2,179 2,571 2,733 2,629 2,553
In Care (Sep 30) 1,253 1,280 1,603 1,706 1,647 1,615
Entered Care 930 1,039 1,184 1,215 1,013 947
Exited Care 1,043 899 968 1,027 982 938
Waiting Adoption 354 308 365 396 485 503
Adopted 177 121 181 211 222 247

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

South Dakota FAQ - mid-band jurisdiction

Signature read: the September 30 stock (1,615 children, #43) is South Dakota's sparsest scale stamp. Median stay is mid-band at 16.3 months among exits.

How many children are in foster care in South Dakota?

1,615 children were in foster care on September 30, 2022, in the FY2022 AFCARS state table.

What is South Dakota's foster care grade?

C. This profile grade equally combines within-release percentiles for reunification, adoption, aging out, and median length of stay.

What is the adoption rate in South Dakota?

26.3%, ranked #26 of 51 states.

How does South Dakota compare to other states on aging out?

7.1% of youth age out without permanency, 2.1 points below the national rate. That is a lower rate than 51% of the 51 reporting states in FY2022 AFCARS.

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

U.S. Children's Bureau AFCARS FY2022 jurisdiction report for South Dakota (SD). ACF Trends in Foster Care and Adoption workbooks FY2013-FY2022; September 30 caseload stamp 1,615.

Source: U.S. Children's Bureau (Administration for Children and Families) AFCARS workbooks and jurisdiction reports · FY2022 South Dakota rates are exits shares from the jurisdiction report; in-care counts are the September 30 stock. Caseload is sparse-system scale: 1,615 children in care on September 30 (#43 nationally).