County-specific title

NC PATH data We are in the process of integrating the new NCPATH foster care data into prior datasets. Until this is complete, current foster care data frequencies reported here will be lower than the true frequencies. This note will be removed when the integration is complete.

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Demographics: Count of children aged <19 years in previous 5 years

Experiences of children in foster care by age

Group = Age 0-5 years

From Number of children Adoptive home Emergency Shelter/Temporary Placement Foster home Therapeutic Home Group Home, Residential Group Home, Treatment Hospital Jail/Detention Facility Missing Data Non-relative/Court Approved Other Parent/Guardian Relative Runaway
2025 July 2,078 1 57 856 16 22 0 256 1 4 170 28 38 625 4
2024 July 2,369 4 48 954 17 27 2 263 0 15 240 41 46 708 4
2023 July 2,253 4 20 972 5 24 1 260 0 3 213 23 30 693 5
2022 July 2,355 5 0 1,070 8 22 0 263 0 18 185 15 31 735 3
2021 July 2,323 6 0 1,036 15 29 1 230 1 10 201 16 31 741 6
2020 July 2,425 2 0 1,077 12 27 2 243 1 8 159 9 58 820 7
2019 July 2,481 5 0 1,201 17 29 2 219 2 12 171 18 49 749 7
2018 July 2,748 4 0 1,283 18 46 6 241 0 35 166 11 41 893 4
2017 July 2,725 1 0 1,238 25 38 5 216 1 29 151 14 58 944 5
2016 July 3,040 9 0 1,287 44 42 0 257 3 1 197 21 55 1,117 7
2015 July 2,852 14 2 1,224 18 53 2 211 4 3 153 11 67 1,075 15
2014 July 2,743 3 4 1,230 37 25 1 220 0 4 147 12 51 992 17
2013 July 2,753 5 4 1,348 23 18 1 170 2 5 171 15 69 914 8
2012 July 2,523 6 2 1,231 40 24 0 175 1 3 105 13 76 841 6
2011 July 2,405 9 0 1,192 21 31 1 148 0 1 113 12 60 812 5
2010 July 2,531 5 1 1,224 35 19 2 159 3 2 133 2 60 879 7
2009 July 2,364 14 1 1,211 26 2 1 142 1 4 101 14 77 762 8
2008 July 2,382 10 0 1,198 30 21 3 168 1 4 122 16 60 741 8
2007 July 2,537 5 1 1,397 29 13 1 194 1 6 128 13 78 655 16
2006 July 2,923 18 5 1,501 32 22 1 233 0 3 106 24 89 863 26
2005 July 3,023 25 1 1,632 23 21 2 201 1 3 113 17 109 865 10
2004 July 2,847 25 7 1,506 35 20 7 180 4 1 109 18 94 829 12
2003 July 2,727 20 10 1,440 25 29 3 165 1 2 101 11 95 817 8
2002 July 2,506 22 24 1,396 11 21 3 156 0 1 123 15 135 597 2
2001 July 2,424 19 17 1,403 21 24 1 137 2 45 81 12 87 568 7
2000 July 2,215 13 22 1,282 8 23 1 109 0 101 84 6 72 484 10
1999 July 2,310 25 15 1,307 9 24 2 95 0 162 83 6 82 499 1
1998 July 2,376 32 29 1,245 7 12 2 89 0 189 109 6 114 540 2
1997 July 2,436 12 27 1,362 10 24 4 79 1 225 56 19 101 509 7

Group = Age 6-12 years

From Number of children Adoptive home Emergency Shelter/Temporary Placement Foster home Therapeutic Home Group Home, Residential Group Home, Treatment Hospital Jail/Detention Facility Missing Data Non-relative/Court Approved Other Parent/Guardian Relative Runaway
2025 July 1,192 0 100 334 20 74 7 30 0 5 145 31 39 404 3
2024 July 1,211 5 64 347 19 70 5 32 0 13 172 23 29 426 6
2023 July 1,271 7 46 382 14 65 2 22 4 4 175 17 50 480 3
2022 July 1,202 0 3 404 15 55 1 29 1 4 168 11 45 463 3
2021 July 1,231 0 2 436 9 84 5 23 0 3 147 6 43 467 6
2020 July 1,316 0 8 465 16 112 11 18 1 5 93 6 44 533 4
2019 July 1,311 2 10 489 20 96 9 21 2 14 141 7 42 452 6
2018 July 1,457 0 17 544 33 111 9 24 0 7 98 18 59 527 10
2017 July 1,413 1 18 538 52 86 11 17 1 18 115 11 46 497 2
2016 July 1,572 0 17 542 42 98 12 20 4 0 101 10 64 658 4
2015 July 1,484 1 17 488 29 135 5 10 4 0 89 10 57 634 5
2014 July 1,429 1 10 618 43 79 8 17 2 0 78 9 49 508 7
2013 July 1,381 2 13 527 49 57 12 15 0 0 85 3 67 546 5
2012 July 1,286 1 18 495 57 91 4 8 10 0 43 1 67 487 4
2011 July 1,177 7 7 491 43 58 13 15 5 0 65 1 57 411 4
2010 July 1,173 5 9 471 51 55 9 11 4 0 54 2 54 446 2
2009 July 1,147 9 8 498 68 39 11 3 4 1 59 4 61 374 8
2008 July 1,217 9 19 524 55 49 10 8 10 0 87 3 65 375 3
2007 July 1,292 1 20 578 46 60 23 14 5 0 79 5 55 403 3
2006 July 1,504 6 27 621 51 72 14 6 7 2 95 12 78 498 15
2005 July 1,645 10 35 754 54 85 17 9 8 0 88 12 86 481 6
2004 July 1,651 9 46 719 52 77 18 9 8 0 101 9 106 493 4
2003 July 1,497 13 48 614 42 78 16 12 7 1 72 13 81 492 8
2002 July 1,537 12 41 734 17 73 20 11 3 0 79 6 131 403 7
2001 July 1,554 9 64 721 28 67 13 17 6 27 59 6 90 442 5
2000 July 1,583 9 59 757 22 86 14 10 9 43 81 10 79 402 2
1999 July 1,679 4 50 749 28 80 13 14 7 90 103 3 112 423 3
1998 July 1,714 19 75 740 16 71 14 10 6 158 77 9 126 391 2
1997 July 1,691 9 76 737 16 82 13 11 0 149 67 12 124 394 1

Group = Age 13-17 years

From Number of children Adoptive home Emergency Shelter/Temporary Placement Foster home Therapeutic Home Group Home, Residential Group Home, Treatment Hospital Jail/Detention Facility Missing Data Non-relative/Court Approved Other Parent/Guardian Relative Runaway
2025 July 794 0 134 139 7 43 18 61 17 1 123 23 21 198 9
2024 July 909 2 108 133 11 63 17 72 37 11 182 40 16 214 3
2023 July 832 8 54 132 8 67 25 73 36 10 164 25 19 202 9
2022 July 864 0 21 196 8 72 12 49 25 2 173 16 15 259 16
2021 July 774 1 13 159 15 83 20 43 32 4 124 20 32 214 14
2020 July 797 1 23 188 13 110 24 42 20 2 91 22 23 219 19
2019 July 829 0 41 181 25 123 25 29 37 6 116 12 27 191 16
2018 July 769 0 33 179 25 119 18 39 37 12 70 9 18 194 16
2017 July 867 0 61 185 39 137 29 36 31 10 90 13 19 204 13
2016 July 897 0 57 190 30 140 33 33 40 1 62 9 37 245 20
2015 July 857 0 51 167 40 159 37 23 28 2 80 11 25 219 15
2014 July 931 0 54 218 47 162 37 32 41 0 69 12 28 209 22
2013 July 968 0 74 220 60 158 34 19 62 4 81 21 24 196 15
2012 July 885 2 79 190 69 157 25 13 46 0 44 5 28 219 8
2011 July 860 0 55 232 69 179 34 15 51 1 31 5 26 156 6
2010 July 875 3 53 252 71 141 21 12 50 0 60 7 24 162 19
2009 July 939 2 53 253 65 167 31 13 43 0 67 4 35 193 13
2008 July 983 3 74 255 62 181 52 20 60 1 59 8 34 160 14
2007 July 1,080 1 98 255 56 194 40 28 74 1 66 13 42 188 24
2006 July 1,281 6 94 320 71 221 40 19 80 2 78 19 49 244 38
2005 July 1,312 1 112 377 55 187 49 23 68 2 90 10 70 238 30
2004 July 1,449 4 134 322 57 247 75 33 68 1 110 15 74 269 40
2003 July 1,284 6 153 308 40 257 46 29 82 1 73 15 57 190 27
2002 July 1,189 3 113 347 28 204 31 16 70 0 79 7 67 202 22
2001 July 1,143 5 143 346 20 203 35 21 74 17 55 9 52 148 15
2000 July 1,087 2 134 307 15 194 23 14 54 46 61 16 70 138 13
1999 July 1,146 2 117 327 13 195 26 19 63 89 58 5 78 137 17
1998 July 1,159 0 139 286 13 184 26 18 42 156 51 12 77 149 6
1997 July 1,154 1 127 327 7 169 32 19 31 139 49 22 79 139 13

Group = Age >=18 years

From Number of children Adoptive home Emergency Shelter/Temporary Placement Foster home Therapeutic Home Group Home, Residential Group Home, Treatment Hospital Jail/Detention Facility Missing Data Non-relative/Court Approved Other Parent/Guardian Relative Runaway
2025 July 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
2024 July 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
2023 July 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
2022 July 5 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
2021 July 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0
2020 July 4 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
2019 July 12 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 0
2018 July 12 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 2 0
2017 July 10 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 2 0
2016 July 8 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 0
2015 July 6 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
2014 July 6 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0
2013 July 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
2012 July 8 0 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
2011 July 10 0 0 3 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 0
2010 July 6 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2009 July 9 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
2008 July 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0
2007 July 5 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2006 July 7 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 0
2005 July 8 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0
2004 July 12 0 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2
2003 July 12 0 0 5 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0
2002 July 11 0 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
2001 July 14 0 0 6 0 2 0 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 1
2000 July 16 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 5 3
1999 July 16 0 2 9 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
1998 July 10 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0
1997 July 18 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 6 1 1 0 5 0


Citations- The suggested way to cite this website is as follows: Duncan, D. F., Stewart, C. J., Seminara, G., Malley, K. M. D., Reives, W., Francis, A., & Guest, S. (2026). Creating Indicators for Child Welfare. Retrieved [month day, year], from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Social Work. https://cip.ssw.unc.edu/ or https://creatingindicators.ssw.unc.edu