CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE ON SEPTEMBER 30

Method & caveats. Federal fiscal-year end counts, 2009–2025. Later source editions replace overlapping earlier counts; trends spreadsheets round to thousands, dashboard counts do not. Sources: FY2009–18 trends, FY2010–19 trends, FY2013–22 workbook, preliminary FY2025 dashboard (February 27, 2026). Coverage before 2009 was not recovered: attempted trends_fostercare_adoption_00thru09.pdf returned HTTP 404. The AFCARS 2020 rule begins FY2023 collection and changes reporting population; the dashboard says pre-2023 counts should be considered separate. Washington first reported under the new rule in FY2025 and Wyoming in FY2024, affecting increases. FY2025 preliminary. Breaks: FY2023 AFCARS 2020 rule and changed reporting population; Wyoming added FY2024, Washington FY2025; revised/rounded historical counts. Provisional years: 2025.