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

Number of children in custody by year

Annual data by gender and age

From To # of Children in Custody Female Male Ages 0-5 Ages 6-12 Ages 13-17 Ages 18 and Over
2025 July 2026 June 15,735 7,788 7,947 5,335 4,809 3,835 1,756
2025 April 2026 March 15,877 7,870 8,007 5,471 4,786 3,896 1,724
2025 Jan. 2025 Dec. 15,827 7,850 7,977 5,523 4,738 3,854 1,712
2024 Oct. 2025 Sept. 15,964 7,947 8,017 5,630 4,778 3,842 1,714
2024 July 2025 June 16,078 8,044 8,034 5,723 4,733 3,941 1,681
2024 April 2025 March 15,955 7,976 7,979 5,701 4,715 3,835 1,704
2024 Jan. 2024 Dec. 15,924 7,959 7,965 5,711 4,652 3,829 1,732
2023 Oct. 2024 Sept. 16,037 8,052 7,985 5,799 4,698 3,806 1,734
2023 July 2024 June 16,023 8,030 7,993 5,765 4,741 3,811 1,706
2023 April 2024 March 15,982 8,024 7,958 5,808 4,690 3,799 1,685
2023 Jan. 2023 Dec. 16,017 8,065 7,952 5,838 4,744 3,775 1,660
2022 Oct. 2023 Sept. 16,201 8,145 8,056 5,902 4,818 3,822 1,659
2022 July 2023 June 16,183 8,124 8,059 5,861 4,815 3,837 1,670
2022 April 2023 March 16,255 8,201 8,054 5,888 4,848 3,876 1,643
2022 Jan. 2022 Dec. 16,102 8,134 7,968 5,861 4,802 3,803 1,636
2021 Oct. 2022 Sept. 16,258 8,219 8,039 5,881 4,889 3,779 1,709
2021 July 2022 June 16,448 8,323 8,125 5,927 4,882 3,737 1,902
2021 April 2022 March 16,485 8,354 8,131 5,973 4,944 3,727 1,841
2021 Jan. 2021 Dec. 16,447 8,319 8,128 6,004 4,957 3,692 1,794
2020 Oct. 2021 Sept. 16,685 8,393 8,292 6,116 5,065 3,748 1,756
2020 July 2021 June 16,729 8,394 8,335 6,108 5,151 3,770 1,700
2020 April 2021 March 16,519 8,266 8,253 6,069 5,087 3,685 1,678
2020 Jan. 2020 Dec. 16,571 8,322 8,249 6,118 5,138 3,650 1,665
2019 Oct. 2020 Sept. 16,746 8,421 8,324 6,222 5,214 3,655 1,655
2019 July 2020 June 16,914 8,466 8,447 6,308 5,316 3,645 1,645
2019 April 2020 March 17,210 8,588 8,621 6,442 5,409 3,725 1,634
2019 Jan. 2019 Dec. 17,030 8,472 8,556 6,382 5,363 3,656 1,629
2018 Oct. 2019 Sept. 17,167 8,514 8,651 6,502 5,444 3,638 1,583
2018 July 2019 June 17,074 8,460 8,612 6,567 5,373 3,582 1,552
2018 April 2019 March 16,892 8,373 8,517 6,470 5,358 3,505 1,559
2018 Jan. 2018 Dec. 16,813 8,269 8,544 6,448 5,345 3,488 1,532
2017 Oct. 2018 Sept. 16,950 8,334 8,616 6,568 5,393 3,502 1,487
2017 July 2018 June 16,865 8,236 8,629 6,533 5,313 3,607 1,412
2017 April 2018 March 16,729 8,164 8,565 6,491 5,293 3,599 1,346
2017 Jan. 2017 Dec. 16,758 8,145 8,613 6,584 5,330 3,592 1,252
2016 Oct. 2017 Sept. 16,715 8,107 8,608 6,610 5,361 3,569 1,175
2016 July 2017 June 16,661 8,088 8,573 6,593 5,380 3,578 1,110
2016 April 2017 March 16,493 8,025 8,468 6,510 5,344 3,564 1,075
2016 Jan. 2016 Dec. 16,229 7,816 8,413 6,420 5,243 3,526 1,040
2015 Oct. 2016 Sept. 16,272 7,829 8,443 6,455 5,230 3,548 1,039
2015 July 2016 June 15,973 7,705 8,268 6,267 5,125 3,535 1,046
2015 April 2016 March 15,744 7,620 8,124 6,185 4,977 3,552 1,030
2015 Jan. 2015 Dec. 15,547 7,528 8,019 6,114 4,909 3,548 976
2014 Oct. 2015 Sept. 15,558 7,496 8,062 6,100 4,955 3,543 960
2014 July 2015 June 15,378 7,422 7,956 5,952 4,859 3,616 951
2014 April 2015 March 15,208 7,358 7,850 5,860 4,780 3,592 976
2014 Jan. 2014 Dec. 14,911 7,194 7,717 5,787 4,623 3,535 966
2013 Oct. 2014 Sept. 14,919 7,203 7,716 5,847 4,600 3,522 950
2013 July 2014 June 14,713 7,123 7,590 5,769 4,492 3,487 965
2013 April 2014 March 14,372 6,964 7,408 5,611 4,383 3,414 964
2013 Jan. 2013 Dec. 14,188 6,923 7,265 5,555 4,289 3,377 967
2012 Oct. 2013 Sept. 14,012 6,814 7,198 5,575 4,182 3,297 958
2012 July 2013 June 13,712 6,650 7,062 5,389 4,094 3,239 990
2012 April 2013 March 13,753 6,728 7,025 5,387 4,093 3,222 1,051
2012 Jan. 2012 Dec. 13,593 6,678 6,915 5,350 3,963 3,225 1,055
2011 Oct. 2012 Sept. 13,811 6,774 7,037 5,446 4,043 3,258 1,064
2011 July 2012 June 13,879 6,783 7,096 5,423 4,070 3,280 1,106
2011 April 2012 March 14,022 6,854 7,168 5,505 4,056 3,358 1,103
2011 Jan. 2011 Dec. 13,898 6,756 7,142 5,408 4,007 3,393 1,090
2010 Oct. 2011 Sept. 14,112 6,861 7,251 5,490 4,056 3,470 1,096
2010 July 2011 June 14,299 6,954 7,345 5,481 4,164 3,533 1,121
2010 April 2011 March 14,165 6,900 7,265 5,376 4,096 3,544 1,149
2010 Jan. 2010 Dec. 14,127 6,882 7,245 5,367 4,081 3,523 1,156
2009 Oct. 2010 Sept. 14,355 7,033 7,322 5,447 4,147 3,601 1,160
2009 July 2010 June 14,568 7,105 7,463 5,451 4,260 3,694 1,163
2009 April 2010 March 14,573 7,155 7,418 5,429 4,226 3,755 1,163
2009 Jan. 2009 Dec. 14,696 7,201 7,495 5,435 4,251 3,855 1,155
2008 Oct. 2009 Sept. 15,125 7,377 7,748 5,589 4,414 4,011 1,111
2008 July 2009 June 15,336 7,521 7,815 5,687 4,487 4,049 1,113
2008 April 2009 March 15,564 7,643 7,921 5,728 4,564 4,138 1,134
2008 Jan. 2008 Dec. 15,808 7,725 8,082 5,779 4,678 4,228 1,123
2007 Oct. 2008 Sept. 16,146 7,899 8,246 5,936 4,808 4,289 1,113
2007 July 2008 June 16,558 8,167 8,390 6,072 4,929 4,470 1,087
2007 April 2008 March 16,681 8,209 8,471 6,107 4,898 4,591 1,085
2007 Jan. 2007 Dec. 16,926 8,323 8,602 6,250 4,970 4,631 1,075
2006 Oct. 2007 Sept. 17,235 8,477 8,757 6,423 5,008 4,729 1,075
2006 July 2007 June 17,392 8,531 8,860 6,404 5,057 4,840 1,091
2006 April 2007 March 17,299 8,481 8,817 6,312 5,032 4,849 1,106
2006 Jan. 2006 Dec. 17,277 8,502 8,774 6,285 5,050 4,875 1,067
2005 Oct. 2006 Sept. 17,321 8,535 8,785 6,311 5,053 4,909 1,048
2005 July 2006 June 17,267 8,549 8,717 6,235 5,038 4,964 1,030
2005 April 2006 March 17,099 8,441 8,657 6,181 4,938 4,949 1,031
2005 Jan. 2005 Dec. 16,913 8,392 8,520 6,029 4,917 4,959 1,008
2004 Oct. 2005 Sept. 16,865 8,409 8,455 6,029 4,897 4,967 972
2004 July 2005 June 16,608 8,254 8,354 5,843 4,803 4,998 964
2004 April 2005 March 16,413 8,112 8,301 5,770 4,713 4,972 958
2004 Jan. 2004 Dec. 16,105 7,951 8,154 5,655 4,620 4,898 932
2003 Oct. 2004 Sept. 16,010 7,914 8,096 5,598 4,698 4,806 908
2003 July 2004 June 15,816 7,801 8,015 5,499 4,674 4,758 885
2003 April 2004 March 15,610 7,743 7,867 5,348 4,675 4,715 872
2003 Jan. 2003 Dec. 15,434 7,621 7,813 5,268 4,687 4,598 881
2002 Oct. 2003 Sept. 15,381 7,615 7,766 5,163 4,737 4,620 861
2002 July 2003 June 15,430 7,609 7,821 5,133 4,868 4,580 849
2002 April 2003 March 15,548 7,670 7,878 5,112 5,020 4,564 852
2002 Jan. 2002 Dec. 15,628 7,712 7,916 5,114 5,052 4,637 825
2001 Oct. 2002 Sept. 15,648 7,694 7,954 5,105 5,091 4,686 766
2001 July 2002 June 15,597 7,656 7,941 5,008 5,164 4,681 744
2001 April 2002 March 15,532 7,614 7,918 4,926 5,196 4,635 775
2001 Jan. 2001 Dec. 15,710 7,666 8,044 4,946 5,313 4,669 782
2000 Oct. 2001 Sept. 15,943 7,762 8,181 4,992 5,480 4,705 766
2000 July 2001 June 16,027 7,788 8,239 4,975 5,562 4,728 762
2000 April 2001 March 16,090 7,777 8,313 4,925 5,603 4,770 792
2000 Jan. 2000 Dec. 16,148 7,790 8,358 4,921 5,708 4,761 758


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