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 race

Group = White

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 2,037 1 145 682 21 76 17 166 7 5 226 23 51 612 5
2024 July 2,300 10 106 768 27 94 17 192 9 14 290 46 41 681 5
2023 July 2,397 12 72 857 16 93 18 186 6 11 295 36 58 733 4
2022 July 2,455 3 4 962 15 103 7 166 10 16 318 23 50 766 12
2021 July 2,651 5 4 1,058 25 136 11 185 11 10 287 24 53 829 13
2020 July 2,724 2 11 1,085 27 167 23 178 12 10 227 15 64 882 21
2019 July 2,722 6 10 1,085 42 154 19 148 15 19 287 20 55 854 8
2018 July 2,917 1 19 1,126 47 190 18 179 12 31 198 27 54 1,005 10
2017 July 2,887 0 24 1,145 56 173 29 151 16 25 222 30 64 945 7
2016 July 3,277 7 30 1,175 70 196 24 178 25 2 213 22 78 1,250 7
2015 July 2,955 12 19 1,081 45 217 20 136 20 3 196 22 71 1,102 11
2014 July 2,885 3 33 1,205 80 161 22 135 21 1 200 22 54 934 14
2013 July 2,798 4 47 1,172 71 143 23 112 29 4 216 17 70 878 12
2012 July 2,615 4 58 1,063 105 186 17 88 30 3 114 8 93 837 9
2011 July 2,466 5 30 1,074 93 158 30 73 28 0 116 10 69 772 8
2010 July 2,484 8 35 1,041 89 137 20 85 20 1 131 5 80 818 14
2009 July 2,546 16 35 1,108 96 126 31 81 28 3 145 13 109 744 11
2008 July 2,475 5 55 1,018 89 140 32 100 30 3 164 19 91 713 16
2007 July 2,701 3 77 1,214 66 177 31 132 35 4 154 24 102 659 23
2006 July 3,016 16 70 1,244 86 176 29 134 47 3 157 24 148 852 30
2005 July 3,236 16 91 1,434 64 191 44 137 37 4 172 17 146 866 17
2004 July 3,153 16 118 1,348 75 184 59 109 41 1 202 15 135 827 23
2003 July 2,889 14 126 1,215 56 178 39 103 45 1 158 22 126 785 21
2002 July 2,914 13 116 1,342 30 183 39 96 34 0 182 14 185 664 16
2001 July 2,740 12 145 1,266 37 165 21 86 49 44 118 17 141 624 15
2000 July 2,643 11 134 1,282 19 166 22 57 33 93 122 17 144 525 18
1999 July 2,606 22 128 1,196 34 142 23 65 31 178 123 6 171 473 14
1998 July 2,774 24 157 1,204 20 160 22 53 23 249 135 19 197 508 3
1997 July 2,681 10 144 1,227 19 157 29 53 12 235 86 28 178 492 11

Group = African American

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 1,387 0 110 404 10 42 7 111 11 2 153 47 30 453 7
2024 July 1,445 1 82 423 14 47 6 115 23 13 183 44 42 446 6
2023 July 1,263 3 34 384 11 53 8 100 27 6 162 28 30 405 12
2022 July 1,267 1 15 465 13 37 6 100 15 5 127 17 31 427 8
2021 July 1,066 1 9 349 10 49 13 63 18 5 121 12 32 375 9
2020 July 1,157 0 13 405 12 51 11 77 7 5 63 17 43 446 7
2019 July 1,226 1 32 484 19 63 12 89 21 7 89 13 42 338 16
2018 July 1,387 2 25 583 17 65 12 78 21 20 82 12 43 415 12
2017 July 1,442 2 43 533 39 69 13 74 17 21 95 7 44 479 6
2016 July 1,525 0 34 566 37 67 16 88 17 0 85 10 55 528 22
2015 July 1,528 1 39 565 31 89 18 72 13 2 88 6 54 530 20
2014 July 1,576 1 30 624 34 83 22 93 19 3 60 8 58 511 30
2013 July 1,579 3 39 612 46 66 19 65 32 3 85 18 65 518 8
2012 July 1,482 4 34 621 55 62 12 75 24 0 47 8 55 476 9
2011 July 1,432 5 27 583 35 75 14 70 26 2 67 7 65 451 5
2010 July 1,559 4 24 669 63 61 8 74 34 1 77 5 45 484 10
2009 July 1,423 6 21 629 48 64 10 52 16 2 63 8 46 441 17
2008 July 1,687 14 36 769 50 93 32 77 41 1 70 6 57 433 8
2007 July 1,768 2 42 791 51 71 28 72 41 3 98 5 64 483 17
2006 July 2,057 10 52 863 59 117 22 87 37 2 86 23 51 605 43
2005 July 2,205 19 53 996 67 84 22 72 39 1 85 18 105 622 22
2004 July 2,274 20 60 924 61 132 40 92 35 1 85 22 117 657 28
2003 July 2,149 23 79 883 45 171 25 86 42 3 77 13 93 587 22
2002 July 1,983 23 56 935 22 102 14 67 38 1 87 14 144 467 13
2001 July 1,995 17 71 981 31 124 25 71 30 43 52 10 76 452 12
2000 July 1,931 8 69 889 23 118 14 68 31 83 87 15 72 445 9
1999 July 2,161 8 50 1,024 15 143 16 51 36 150 88 6 80 488 6
1998 July 2,198 23 73 940 17 103 18 53 24 238 85 8 114 496 6
1997 July 2,335 12 72 1,076 14 104 19 49 19 252 80 23 112 493 10

Group = American Indian/Alaskan

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 68 0 3 25 0 1 0 8 0 0 4 0 0 26 1
2024 July 122 0 1 38 0 4 0 9 0 1 16 0 2 51 0
2023 July 116 0 0 15 0 0 0 11 2 0 15 0 2 71 0
2022 July 171 0 0 25 0 0 0 16 0 0 23 0 4 103 0
2021 July 125 0 0 31 2 0 0 12 1 0 12 2 4 58 3
2020 July 137 0 1 27 0 3 0 13 0 0 11 1 4 77 0
2019 July 156 0 1 45 2 8 1 6 0 0 16 0 6 68 3
2018 July 125 0 1 32 2 2 0 4 0 0 11 0 7 59 7
2017 July 154 0 4 33 5 1 0 9 0 2 5 0 12 80 3
2016 July 116 0 0 27 1 4 0 7 0 0 5 0 7 65 0
2015 July 173 1 0 37 2 6 0 4 1 0 6 0 9 105 2
2014 July 170 0 0 35 1 4 2 4 0 0 8 0 6 109 1
2013 July 154 0 0 50 1 8 0 2 0 0 7 0 6 80 0
2012 July 172 0 0 26 1 11 0 6 0 0 6 1 8 113 0
2011 July 134 0 0 41 4 8 0 10 1 1 8 0 3 58 0
2010 July 91 0 0 27 0 4 2 3 0 0 9 0 2 43 1
2009 July 76 0 0 25 2 12 1 2 0 0 2 0 1 30 1
2008 July 54 0 0 22 0 2 1 2 0 0 1 0 2 24 0
2007 July 90 0 0 52 5 6 1 2 2 0 5 0 1 14 2
2006 July 126 0 3 47 0 12 1 6 1 0 4 1 2 48 1
2005 July 131 0 1 77 0 5 1 4 0 0 9 3 3 24 4
2004 July 122 0 3 71 0 1 0 4 2 0 4 0 2 35 0
2003 July 152 1 2 71 0 9 0 2 2 0 4 0 1 60 0
2002 July 106 0 2 59 0 6 0 3 1 0 1 0 1 31 2
2001 July 140 0 3 59 0 4 0 4 1 1 11 0 11 46 0
2000 July 111 0 0 50 0 7 0 3 0 2 5 1 3 39 1
1999 July 196 0 3 69 0 4 2 6 1 4 23 0 8 75 1
1998 July 108 0 6 41 0 1 0 3 0 2 6 0 1 47 1
1997 July 113 0 4 29 0 4 0 2 0 13 5 0 6 50 0

Group = Other

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 576 0 33 219 12 20 1 63 0 3 55 13 17 137 3
2024 July 626 0 31 208 6 15 1 51 5 11 105 14 7 170 2
2023 July 583 4 14 230 0 10 2 59 5 0 80 2 10 166 1
2022 July 533 1 5 219 3 10 0 59 2 3 58 3 6 162 2
2021 July 490 1 2 194 2 11 2 36 3 2 53 4 17 162 1
2020 July 524 1 6 214 2 29 3 35 3 0 43 4 14 168 2
2019 July 529 0 8 258 1 24 4 26 5 6 36 8 15 136 2
2018 July 557 1 5 270 10 19 3 43 4 3 44 3 14 137 1
2017 July 532 0 8 251 16 20 3 36 0 9 34 5 3 143 4
2016 July 599 2 10 253 8 13 5 37 5 0 58 9 16 181 2
2015 July 543 1 12 200 9 35 6 32 2 0 33 4 15 192 2
2014 July 478 0 6 202 12 18 1 38 4 0 26 3 10 157 1
2013 July 574 0 5 261 14 16 5 25 3 2 29 4 19 183 8
2012 July 433 1 7 210 5 15 0 28 3 0 25 2 16 121 0
2011 July 420 6 5 220 2 27 4 27 2 0 18 1 6 100 2
2010 July 451 1 4 211 7 13 2 21 3 0 30 1 11 144 3
2009 July 414 3 6 204 13 7 1 23 4 0 17 1 17 118 0
2008 July 371 3 2 169 8 16 0 17 1 1 33 2 12 106 1
2007 July 355 2 1 173 9 14 4 31 2 0 16 2 8 92 1
2006 July 516 4 1 289 9 11 3 32 3 2 32 7 15 103 5
2005 July 416 1 3 259 1 13 1 20 2 0 25 1 11 76 3
2004 July 410 2 7 207 9 28 1 18 2 0 29 5 20 75 7
2003 July 330 1 4 198 6 7 2 15 1 0 7 4 14 71 0
2002 July 240 1 5 145 4 7 2 17 0 0 11 1 3 44 0
2001 July 260 4 5 170 1 3 3 15 2 2 16 0 2 36 1
2000 July 216 5 12 128 3 13 2 6 0 12 13 0 2 20 0
1999 July 188 1 3 103 1 11 0 7 2 10 10 2 13 25 0
1998 July 179 4 7 91 0 3 2 8 1 17 11 0 6 29 0
1997 July 170 0 10 97 0 10 1 7 1 19 2 3 8 12 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